FY 2006-07 NATURAL RESOURCES BUDGET S.B. 1094 (S-1, Draft 1): COMMITTEE SUMMARY






Senate Bill 1094 (S-1, Draft 1 as reported)
Committee: Appropriations

FY 2005-06 Year-to-Date Gross Appropriation $272,943,100
Changes from FY 2005-06 Year-to-Date:
  1. State Park Revenue Increase. An increase in camping fees became effective January 1, 2006. The Senate included an additional appropriation for State parks to reflect the new revenue. 3,500,000
2. Purchased Land Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT). For purchased land PILT, the Senate restored a GF/GP reduction of $350,000 enacted in FY 2005-06. This program also included $170,000 GF/GP for special payments to counties related to the advancement of county mill collections for revenue sharing purposes. This would be the third year of a 3-year schedule for the special payments. 520,000
3. Coast Guard Funding. The budget included Federal funding from the United States Coast Guard for enforcement of commercial fishing laws and marine safety grants. 2,940,000
4. Forestry Fund Shift. In the Forest Fire Protection program, the Governor recommended a reduction of $1,500,000 GF/GP to be replaced with revenue from the Forest Development Fund. There would be no change to the total budget for the program or to the program operations. The Senate concurred. 0
5. General Fund Reduction and Fund Shift. To meet reduced General Fund revenue projections, the Senate replaced a General Fund reduction of $327,100 with revenue from the Forest Development Fund for forest fire protection. 0
6. Project F.I.S.H. The Senate provided funding from the Game and Fish Protection Fund as a grant to this program promoting sport fishing. 25,000
7. Kalamazoo River Dams. The Senate added funding from the Clean Michigan Initiative-Clean Water Fund for the removal of 3 dams on the Kalamazoo River. 250,000
8. Sportsmen Against Hunger. Established in 2005, this program allows donations to the Sportsmen Against Hunger Fund when purchasing a hunting license. The budget included an initial appropriation from the Fund to pay for the processing and distribution of donated game. 250,000
9. Human Resource (HR) Changes. Costs related to the HR optimization process and the operation of the service center are included in the Senate budget. 70,100
10. Economic Adjustments. The budget included economic adjustments for worker's compensation, building occupancy charges, salaries and fringe benefits, and information technology. 6,472,800
11. Other Changes. The budget made other adjustments to reflect actual revenue anticipated, changes in Federal grant awards, and debt services on revenue bonds. 322,200
12. Comparison to Governor's Recommendation. The Senate Subcommittee budget is $275,000 Gross over and $327,100 GF/GP under the Governor's recommended budget.
Total Changes $14,350,100
  FY 2006-07 Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Gross Appropriation $287,293,200
FY 2006-07 NATURAL RESOURCES BUDGET BOILERPLATE HIGHLIGHTS

Changes from FY 2005-06 Year to Date:
  1. Sections Removed. The Governor and Senate removed language addressing an administrative cost allocation, turkey hunting licenses, State park corporate sponsorship, the adopt-a-forest program, timber marking in State forests, staff for timber marking, privatization project plans, bobcat populations, and ORV trail development.
2. Sections Retained. The Senate retained language addressing grant and loan programs, game and fish appropriations, a prohibition on disciplinary action, fish advisory information, land transactions, a prohibition to impede water control structures, construction projects in State parks, defibrillators in State parks, misuse of free day passes, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, a Gaylord-Cheboygan snowmobile trail, snowmobile law enforcement grants, and Federal land and water conservation funds. (Secs. 208, 209, 216, 404, 405, 601, 702, 703, 704, 705, 803, 901, and 1102)
3. Deprived and Depressed. The Senate did not include language recommended by the Governor directing the Department to ensure businesses in deprived and depressed areas compete for contracts.
4. Contingency Funds. The Senate did not include language recommended by the Governor authorizing contingency fund appropriations of $3.0 million Federal, $5.0 million State restricted, $100,000 local, and $500,000 private funds.
5. Waterways Commission Activities. The Senate revised this report to be a list of projects completed in the previous fiscal year. (Sec. 210)
6. Project F.I.S.H. The Senate directed the Department to collaborate with Project F.I.S.H. to increase the number of anglers and submit a cost benefit analysis of the effectiveness of the program. (Sec. 301)
7. Indemnification Payments. The Senate added cougars to the list of predators for which these payments would be made. (Sec. 501)
8. Cormorant Action Plan. The Senate directed the Department to execute the action plan submitted on Dec. 28, 2005. (Sec. 503)
9. Kalamazoo River Dams. The Senate designated funding in Part 1 for the removal of the Otsego, Plainwell, and Trowbridge dams on the Kalamazoo River. States that this would not preclude the Department from pursuing cost recovery from responsible parties. (Sec. 603)
10. Island Lake Shooting Range. The Senate prohibited expansion of the shooting range unless the Department completes remediation efforts to comply with the Green Oak Twp. Ordinance. (Sec. 706)
11. Boating Access Improvement Plans. The Senate directed the Department to work with the Waterways Commission to develop short and long term plans to improve boating access throughout the State. Required the plans be submitted by July 1, 2007. (Sec. 707)
12. Forest Finance Authority Project. The Senate required a report on the planned use, expenditure, and action taken by the Forest Finance Authority regarding the $26.0 million grant from the 21st Century Jobs Trust Fund. (Sec. 807)
13. PILT Special Payments. The Senate included language from a supplemental appropriations bill designating $170,000 in funding in Part 1 for special payments to counties with a fiscal year ending Sept. 30 to compensate for reduced purchased land payments in lieu of taxes related to the county revenue sharing provisions enacted in 2005. (Sec. 1001)
14. Repeal of Forest Finance Authority Grant. The Senate included a Part 2A for FY 2005-06 to prohibit the Michigan Strategic Fund from making the $26.0 million grant from the 21st Century Jobs Trust Fund to the Forest Finance Authority. (Sec. 1201)

Date Completed: 3-15-06 Fiscal Analyst: Jessica Runnels Bill Analysis @ http://www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations. hidnrcs.doc