LANSING — The director of the Department of Natural Resources is pushing back against proposed cuts of tens of millions of dollars.
Director Scott Bowen spoke before the Natural Resources Commission Thursday, urging lawmakers to scale back the potential cuts.
Bowen highlighted various initiatives from the DNR including the stocking of more than 20 million fish a year, the management of 4.5 million acres of forest and ensuring that more than 200 dams remain functional and safe.
Bowen also says that more than a thousand miles of Northern Michigan trails remain uncleared from March’s ice storm, adding to the need for continued funding.
“That’s not a snap of the fingers job — it takes manpower. It takes saws,” he said. “Our foresters are already stretched thin with their daily responsibilities, so we make do for now — but without additional funding, it’s not a question of if, but when, we face a wildfire that we cannot contain.”
State House Republicans have proposed a 10% cut to the department, the equivalent of 430 positions including forestry, wildlife, fisheries and parks.
Some lawmakers have argued that the DNR has become bloated over the years.
But Bowen pushed back, saying that the state’s natural resources are in need of protection and that spending cuts would only hurt those efforts.
“Managing our natural resources requires 20, 30, even 50-year planning horizons,” he said. “Our long-term goals demand long-term funding.”