Title 324, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Sec. 5002. (1) The water asset management council is created within the Michigan infrastructure council. (2) Subject to subsection (3), the water asset management council consists of the following members: (a) Nine voting members appointed by the Michigan infrastructure council a…

Sec. 5003. The water asset management council shall do all of the following: (a) Advise the Michigan infrastructure council on a statewide water asset management strategy and the processes and tools needed to implement a strategy for all asset owners. (b) Promote and oversee the …

Sec. 5004. (1) By October 1, 2019, the water asset management council shall establish a schedule for submission of asset management plans that ensures that 1/3 of asset owners submit an asset management plan each year. The asset management plans are subject to all of the followin…

Sec. 5005. The water asset management council shall annually submit to the Michigan infrastructure council a report on asset condition and investment that includes a summary analysis of the asset management plans received from drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater entities. …

Sec. 5006. (1) State funding may be provided to asset owners to implement this part as determined by the water asset management council. Funding necessary for the department to support the activities described in this section shall be provided by an annual appropriation. (2) Each…

Sec. 5007. (1) The water asset management council shall identify training needs to develop proficiency in using a multi-asset management system for asset owners, and training to identify asset system conditions based on a statewide asset condition measure. (2) The water asset man…

Sec. 5008. The department of technology, management, and budget shall serve as the central data storage agency for purposes of collecting, storing, and maintaining data under this part.

Sec. 501. (1) A department of natural resources for this state is created which shall possess the powers and perform the duties granted and imposed by this act and as otherwise provided by law. (2) The commission of natural resources is created as the head of the department of na…

Sec. 50101. As used in this part, the words and phrases defined in sections 50102 to 50105 have the meanings ascribed to them in those sections.

Sec. 50102. (1) "Agency of this state" means a board, bureau, commission, department, or other division of the executive branch of government of this state. (2) "Board" means the board of directors of the forest improvement district. (3) "Bond" means a bond, note, or any other in…

Sec. 50103. (1) "Fish and wildlife habitat improvements" means measures designed to protect, maintain, or enhance fish and wildlife habitats. (2) "Follow-up work" means forest practices to promote the survival of seeds or seedlings planted or the protection or enhancement of othe…

Sec. 50104. (1) "Harvest" means the point at which timber that has been cut, severed, or removed for purposes of sale or use is first measured in the ordinary course of business as determined by reference to common practice in the timber industry. (2) "Land occupier" or "occupier…

Sec. 50105. (1) "Reforestation" means planting of tree seedlings, cuttings, or seed. (2) "Small business entity" means a business enterprise with $500,000.00 or less average annual gross revenue during its last 3 tax years. (3) "Stumpage value" of timber means values determined f…

Sec. 50106. (1) The purpose of this part is to stimulate improved management and utilization of forest land and forest resources within this state as recommended by Jaakko Poyry and company, Helsinki, Finland, in Michigan's timber resource development project. Economic and commun…

Sec. 50107. This part, being necessary to secure the public health, safety, welfare, and convenience of the citizens of the state, shall be liberally construed to effect the public policy and purposes declared in this subpart.

Sec. 50108. (1) The department may fund a forest restoration pilot project or any other district created under this part to implement this part. The forest restoration pilot project may consist of the establishment and funding of the forest improvement district formed under this …

Sec. 50109. A district board of directors shall determine the annual expenses of the district and shall submit an itemized list of the expenses to the department. The department shall include those expenses in its annual budget request to the legislature.

Sec. 50111. (1) A forest restoration pilot project organized as a forest improvement district with a gross territorial boundary encompassing the western 6 counties of the Upper Peninsula of this state with its headquarters and industrial site in or near the village of Baraga shal…

Sec. 50113. During the years of operation of the western Upper Peninsula forest improvement district, a detailed report of the operation and impact of the district shall be submitted by the board of the district to the departments and the legislature for an analysis and evaluatio…

Sec. 50114. Within 30 days after receipt of the certificate from the secretary of state pursuant to section 50127, the western Upper Peninsula forest improvement district board shall record a notice pursuant to this part setting forth the names and addresses of the member landown…

Sec. 50115. For the public benefit, the board shall mandate the continuous growing, improvement, and harvesting of forest trees to protect and maintain the forest soil, air, water resources, wildlife, and aquatic habitat within the district. The board of the western Upper Peninsu…

Sec. 50116. (1) A member who has submitted and obtained approval of the member's forest management plan and desires to effect a change in the plan shall set forth the proposed change in writing and obtain the written approval of the supervisory forester of the working forest in w…

Sec. 50117. The security for the repayment of bonds issued by the district may be a pledge or mortgage on all lands owned by the district and all of the district's installations, buildings, and equipment, tools, furniture, fixtures, or other personal property owned by the distric…

Sec. 50118. (1) The western Upper Peninsula forest improvement district shall establish 1 or more special debt service reserve funds to secure its bonds, referred to in this part as approved reserve funds. The district shall pay into an approved reserve fund the money appropriate…

Sec. 50119. Except where expressly modified by this subpart, this part applies to the western Upper Peninsula forest restoration pilot project.

Sec. 50120. (1) The department shall do all of the following: (a) Provide the technical assistance of the department to the board of directors of a forest improvement district and to agencies of the state and persons with respect to the development of forest practices guidelines,…

Sec. 50121. The department shall promulgate rules, adopt guidelines, and issue publications under the administrative procedures act of 1969, Act No. 306 of the Public Acts of 1969, being sections 24.201 to 24.328 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, as may be necessary to implement and…

Sec. 50122. (1) The department, in promulgating its rules and in disposing of the timber and other products from state forest land, shall give primary consideration to the purposes for the creation of a forest improvement district. (2) In order to accomplish the purposes of this …

Sec. 50123. A forest improvement district may be established pursuant to this part, and when established has the powers conferred by this part.

Sec. 50124. (1) A district may be established by filing a petition, signed by 10 or more owners of forest land who control a total combined acreage of not less than 50,000 acres lying within the limits of the gross territorial boundary proposed to be organized into a district, wi…

Sec. 50125. (1) Within 30 days after a petition has been filed, the department shall give notice of a proposed hearing upon the question of the desirability, necessity, and feasibility of the creation of the district, upon the question of the appropriate boundaries to be assigned…

Sec. 50126. (1) If the department makes and records a determination that the need for a district exists and defines its boundaries, the department shall then consider the question of whether the operation of a district within those boundaries is administratively and economically …

Sec. 50127. (1) If the operation of a district is determined to be feasible, the department shall appoint 2 directors who, with the 3 directors elected as provided in sections 50131 and 50132, constitute the first board of directors of the district. The directors appointed shall …

Sec. 50128. The district shall constitute a governmental subdivision of the state and a public body corporate and politic on the date specified in the directors' application or on the date the application and statement are filed and recorded, whichever is later.

Sec. 50129. A petition for discontinuance of membership in, for deletion of member forest land within, and for including additional territory within an existing district shall be filed with the board. The board shall prescribe the form for the petition. The board annually shall n…

Sec. 50130. (1) Petitions signed by a majority of the members of each of the boards of adjoining districts may be filed with the department asking that the boundary line between the districts be changed. These petitions shall identify the existing boundary line between the distri…

Sec. 50131. (1) The governing body of a district shall be the board of directors which shall consist of 5 persons. The board may elect a chairperson and other officers which it considers necessary or convenient for implementing this part. The term of office of a director shall be…

Sec. 50132. (1) A candidate for the first board of directors shall file nominating petitions with the department at or before the hearing on the need for a district. A candidate shall be a member of the proposed district. A nominating petition shall not be accepted by the departm…

Sec. 50133. (1) Two or more districts may petition the department for consolidation into a single district. The department shall not act on the petition unless it is signed by a majority of the board of each of the districts involved. Within 30 days after receipt of a petition, t…

Sec. 50134. (1) The members within a district, whose total lands compose 25% or more of the private forest land which comprise the district, may file a petition with the department requesting that the district be discontinued. The petition shall identify the provisions to be take…

Sec. 50135. In addition to those powers granted elsewhere in this part, a district has all of the following powers, which are subject to federal and state environmental laws: (a) To obtain real property for purposes of industrial site development within the gross territorial boun…

Sec. 50137. (1) The expenses of a district may be paid from 1 or more of the following: (a) An appropriation by the legislature. (b) The revenues of the district's facilities and operations. (c) The proceeds of the service fees authorized by this part. (d) The proceeds of sales o…

Sec. 50138. The boards of any 2 or more districts may cooperate in the exercise of powers conferred in this part.

Sec. 50139. During the years of operation of a district, a detailed report of the operation and impact of the district shall be submitted by the board of the district to the departments and the legislature for analysis and evaluation.

Sec. 50140. For the public benefit, the board shall mandate the continuous growing, improvement, and harvesting of forest tree species so as to protect and maintain the forest soil, air, water resources, wildlife, and aquatic habitat within a district. The board of a district sha…

Sec. 50141. (1) A member shall notify the district of compliance with the forest practice rules by submitting a forest management plan on forms prescribed and provided by the board. The notification shall include the name and address of the member, the legal description of the ar…