LANSING – State Representative Dudley Spade (D-Tipton) today announced a plan to introduce the Michigan Hunting Heritage Protection Act to ensure that Michigan's 4.5 million acres of state-managed hunting land are protected as the Department of Natural Resources continues to implement its land consolidation strategy, which includes the sale of some public land.
"As a life-long and avid Michigan hunter, I recognize that hunting is not just a sport, it's part of our culture, and our citizens deserve to have these public grounds protected," Spade said. "Beyond that, it is an important source of tourism and a huge boost to our economy. The loss of hunting land would have a negative impact not just on hunters, but on every citizen of Michigan."
The legislative plan would require that there is no net loss of state-owned hunting land in Michigan. Any public hunting land that the state sells would have to be replaced with an equal amount of public hunting land.
Michigan boasts 8 million acres of public hunting land, with 4.5 million acres managed by the Department of Natural Resources. Michigan has more than 750,000 hunters, ranking the state third in the nation in licensed hunters, according to the DNR.
Hunting significantly bolsters Michigan's economy by $2.5 billion every year, the DNR reported. It contributes an estimated $1.3 billion directly to the state's economy every year. In addition, because many residents plan trips around the hunting seasons, peripheral spending at local hotels, restaurants and other businesses rakes in an additional $1.2 billion for Michigan's economy.