FY 2014-15 NATURAL RESOURCES BUDGET                                                  S.B. 774 (CR-1):  CONFERENCE REPORT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FY 2013-14 Year-to-Date Gross Appropriation.....................................................................

$343,138,900

 

Changes from FY 2013-14 Year-to-Date:

 

Items Included by the Senate and House

 

  1.  Additional Conservation Officers.  The Governor, House, and Senate included GF/GP funding and 25.0 FTEs for the hiring of additional conservation officers.

3,500,000

  2.  Annualization of Hunting and Fishing License Fee Increase.  The Governor, House, and Senate included additional Game and Fish dollars to reflect the license fee increases implemented last year.  FY 2014-15 will be the first full fiscal year where the new fees will be in effect.

8,057,500

  3.  Great Lakes Research Vessel.  The Governor, House, and Senate included $1.0 million in GF/GP revenue, $500,000 Game and Fish, and $500,000 in expected private funds for the replacement of the Chinook, the DNR's fish research vessel on Lake Huron.

2,000,000

  4.  Economic Adjustments. Includes a negative $1,073,900 Gross and a negative $80,900 GF/GP for OPEB and $6,667,800 Gross and $335,800 GF/GP for other economic adjustments.

5,593,900

  5.  Other Changes. Other changes include technical revenue adjustments, $2.0M in additional restricted funding for State Parks operations, an increase of $350,000 in restricted funds for the purchase of wildfire equipment, capital outlay adjustments, and removal of FY 2013-14 one-time expenditures.

4,395,100

Conference Agreement on Items of Difference

 

  6.  Invasive Species Initiative.  The Governor included $4.0 million in ongoing and $2.0 million in one-time GF/GP funding for a new initiative to combat invasive species.  16.0 FTEs were also included.  The Senate further increased funding by $170,000.  The House and Conference included a total of $5.0 million.

5,000,000

  7.  Non-Motorized Trail Initiative.  The Conference included GF/GP funding intended to increase non-motorized trail development throughout the State.  The House did not include this funding.

2,500,000

  8.  State Park Repair and Maintenance.  The Conference removed $3.5 million in unavailable restricted funds and included $2.5 million in private funds and $3.75 million GF/GP.  The House included $1,375,000 in GF/GP.

2,750,000

  9.  Michigan Conservation Corps/Summer Youth Initiative.  The Governor included additional GF/GP for this program.  The Senate removed this program, the House kept it at current-year levels.  The Conference included $1.0 million for the program.

(1,500,000)

10.  Cormorant Population Mitigation.  The Senate and Conference included additional funding for the management of cormorants.  This would bring total funding for the program to $150,000.

50,000

11.  Forestry Funding Changes.  The Governor and Senate transferred $4.0 million in Forest Dev. Fund from Wildfire Protection to Forest Management and Timber Market Dev. The shortfall in Wildfire Protection was backfilled with GF/GP.  The House did not include this item.  The Conference reduced the increase by $80,000.

3,920,000

12.  Other Projects.  The Senate and Conference included $2.0 million for a grant to the River Raisin National Battlefield Foundation, $280,000 for a feasibility study of deepening the Saginaw River and $1.0 million for repair of dikes on the Flint River. The Conference included two new projects:  $1.0 million for public safety land improvements for the City of Alma/Alma College, and $1.0 million for improvements to the Hart-Montague Trail.

5,280,000

 

Total Changes.....................................................................................................................

$41,546,500

FY 2014-15 Conference Report Ongoing/One-Time Gross Appropriation............................

$384,685,400

Amount Over/(Under) GF/GP Target: $0

 

FY 2014-15 NATURAL RESOURCES BUDGET                                                                     BOILERPLATE HIGHLIGHTS

Changes from FY 2013-14 Year-to-Date:

Items Included by the Senate and House

  1.  Communication with the Legislature. The Governor removed and Conference retained a prohibition on taking disciplinary action against employees who communicate with the Legislature. (Sec. 212)

  2.  Waterways Report.  The Governor removed and Conference retained a report on projects completed during the fiscal year.  (Sec. 223)

  3.  Land Transaction Report.  The Governor removed and Conference retained a report on land transactions from the previous year. (Sec. 408)

  4.  Invasive Species Order Report.  The Governor removed and Conference retained a report on invasive species order actions taken against swine raised under the husbandry of Michigan residents.  (Sec. 503)

  5.  Cervid Fee Report.  The Governor removed and Conference retained a report on Cervid inspection fees. (Sec. 504)

  6.  Water Control Structure Certification.  The Governor removed and Conference retained a prohibition on impeding the certification of water control structures. (Sec. 602)

  7.  Recreation Opportunities.  The Governor removed and Conference retained a requirement that the Legislature be notified of any intent to reduce recreation opportunities.  (Sec. 702)

  8.  Timber Marking.  The Governor removed and Senate retained two sections that prescribed minimum amounts of timber to be prepared and marked for harvest, and that a sufficient number of foresters are hired to do so.  (Sec. 802 & 805)

Conference Agreement on Items of Difference

  9.  Performance Benchmarks.  The House included new language requiring proposals for new or increased programs to include performance benchmarks.  The Conference included a modified version of this section.  (Sec. 204)

10.  Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps.  The Senate and Conference included a new section requiring the DNR to work with the MCCC steering committee to plan for a MCCC outside of State government. (Sec. 250)

11.  Invasive Species Initiative.  The Senate included a new section earmarking $3,770,000 of this program for grants. The House included $4.4M and the Conference included $3.6M.  (Sec. 251)

12.  Oil and Gas Lease Report.  The Governor, Senate, and Conference removed a report on certain types of gas leases where acreage held in a producing unit is less than ¼ of the lease acreage.  The House retained this section (Sec. 409 of House Bill)

13.  Cormorant Report.  The Governor and House removed a quarterly report on Cormorant control efforts.  The Senate and Conference retained the report and expanded it to put additional conditions on the program.  (Sec. 603)

14.  Pure Michigan Trails.  The Senate and Conference included a new section which would earmark $200,000 for the Pure Michigan Trails program if Senate Bills 873 through 877 are enacted. (Sec. 704)

15.  Burt Lake Trail Connector.  The Senate included a new section earmarking $100,000 for this trail. The Conference did not include this section. (Sec. 705 of Senate Bill)

16.  Horseback Interests.  The Governor and House removed and Senate and Conference retained a requirement that the DNR work with horseback interests. (Sec. 804)

17.  Gas and Oil Lease Development.  The Senate and Conference included a new section requiring the DNR to develop a plan to motivate gas and oil lessees to undertake warranted new operations. (Sec. 808)

18.  Forestry Best Practices Management Audit.  The House and Conference included a new section requiring DNR to work with landowners to audit statewide best practices.  (Sec. 809)

19.  Saginaw River.  The Senate included a feasibility study of deepening the Saginaw River.  (Sec. 1201)

 

Date Completed:  6-9-14                                                                                                       Fiscal Analyst:  Josh Sefton

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.