HOUSE BILL No. 4883


     September 28, 1999, Introduced by Reps. Vear, Rick Johnson, Allen and Rocca and
referred to the Committee on Conservation and Outdoor Recreation.


        A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

   "Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

   by amending section 42501 (MCL 324.42501), as added by 1995 PA

   57.

               THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 1         Sec. 42501.  (1) A person shall not engage in the business

 2    of buying, selling, dealing, or the tanning and dressing of raw

 3    furs, hides, or pelts of beaver, otter, fisher, marten, muskrat,

 4    mink, skunk, raccoon, opossum, wolf, lynx, bobcat, fox, weasel,

 5    coyote, badger, deer, or bear and the plumage, skins, or hides of

 6    protected game birds and game animals until that person procures

 7    a license to do so from the department.  Fees payable to the

 8    department for such a license are as follows:

 9         (a) For any person who engages in the business of buying and

10    selling raw furs, hides, and pelts of fur-bearing animals and the


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 1    plumage, skins, or hides of protected game birds and game

 2    animals, the fee is $10.00 FOR A RESIDENT AND $200.00 FOR A NON-

 3    RESIDENT OF THIS STATE

 4         (b) Each person in the business of manufacturing furs who

 5    buys raw pelts is a dealer, and the fee for each such resident

 6    citizen, or agent who buys furs, is $10.00, and for each nonresi-

 7    dent the fee is  $50.00  $200.00.

 8         (c) The fee for any person who engages in the business of

 9    custom tanning or dressing of raw furs is $5.00, but such a

10    license does not authorize that person to buy or sell raw furs.

11         (2) Any person holding a fur dealer's license under this

12    part is entitled to buy furs, hides, pelts, and the plumage,

13    skins, or hides, or parts thereof, of protected game birds and

14    game animals that are legally taken.

15         (3) A person holding a fur dealer's license under this part

16    is not eligible to secure or hold a license to trap beaver.

17         (4) The department may designate the plumage and skin of

18    those game birds and game animals that may not be bought or sold

19    if it determines that such a prohibition will best serve the

20    public interest.  The plumage and skins, or parts of plumage and

21    skins, of migratory game and nongame birds may be bought and sold

22    only in accordance with federal law or rule.

23         (5) For the purposes of this part, "plumage" means any part

24    of the feathers, head, wings, or tail of any bird.









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