Bill Text: MI HR0269 | 2019-2020 | 100th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to oppose the Natural Resources Commission's proposed policy change requiring orange coloring on each side of a hunting ground blind.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 15-1)
Status: (Passed) 2020-06-03 - Adopted [HR0269 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2019-HR0269-Introduced.html
house Resolution No.269
Reps. Cole, Wentworth, Maddock, Green, LaFave, VanSingel, Hoitenga, Lower, Markkanen, Meerman, O'Malley, Eisen, Lightner, Steven Johnson, Howell and Love offered the following resolution:
Whereas, The state of Michigan has a long tradition of hunting. Hunting is the preferred means of managing wildlife through sportsmen and women's responsible use of wildlife resources in this state. Hunting has a significant and positive economic impact on this state; and
Whereas, Individuals are required to wear hunter orange when hunting during daylight hours from August 15 through April 30 with only a few exceptions. In effect for over 40 years, the law is meant to make hunters more visible to each other while in the fields and woods of Michigan; and
Whereas, The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently recommended to the Natural Resources Commission that hunters be required to display at least 144 square inches of hunter orange on ground blinds. The recommendation affects blinds located on both public and private lands during a deer season in which wearing of hunter orange is required. The department claims that this requirement will reduce hunting accidents; and
Whereas, According to the DNR, overall fatalities and injuries occurring during firearm deer season have been trending downward for over 30 years. In the past three firearm seasons, 2017 to 2019, there have been a total of 14 incidents in which individuals have either shot themselves or another person. Of these 14 incidents, only one involved a hunter in a blind and that individual accidentally shot himself. Hunter orange on the outside of the blind would not have prevented this incident; and
Whereas, Requiring hunters to post hunter orange on ground blinds would simply be a burden on hunters with little relevance to the proposed policy's supposed purpose of reducing hunting accidents; and
Whereas, This proposal is a big government solution to a problem that does not exist and could create new concerns including violating the rights of private property owners and increasing the theft of pop-up and other portable blinds used on public lands; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we oppose the Natural Resources Commission's proposed policy change requiring orange coloring on each side of a hunting ground blind; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the members of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission, the Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the Governor of Michigan.
