Title 324, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Sec. 50146. (1) A district may make loans to a member for 1 or more of the following reasons: (a) To cover all or part of the member's cost share contribution required under section 50145. (b) To cover all or a part of the cost of forest practices, up to 100% of the lesser of eit…

Sec. 50147. (1) A district may make annual incentive payments to members to cover forest practice costs only, but not to cover ad valorem property taxes or the member's share of commercial forest act taxes levied pursuant to part 511. This payment is made in anticipation of futur…

Sec. 50148. (1) The following conditions shall be met for a member to be eligible for cost-share payments, a loan, or an annual incentive payment: (a) The member shall make application for financial assistance for forest practices to each federal program specified by the board. T…

Sec. 50149. (1) When allocating available funds among applicants for assistance pursuant to this subpart, the board shall select those programs of forest practices which in its judgment produce the greatest public benefit, giving consideration to the following factors: (a) The ne…

Sec. 50150. Cost-share payments, loans, or annual incentive payments under this subpart may be made for forest practices that are also the subject of payments or other assistance provided under federal law. Payments or loans may be made to satisfy member cost shares or to repay l…

Sec. 50151. (1) All cost-share payments, loans, or annual incentive payments advanced to a member under this subpart shall be refunded to the district if either of the following applies: (a) The member files an application for rezoning pursuant to local zoning laws permitting use…

Sec. 50152. In order to provide a source of funds for the cost-share payments, loans, annual incentive payments, and other services authorized to be offered to members within a district, a district may charge a severance fee pursuant to the procedure described in section 50153 an…

Sec. 50153. (1) The board may establish a schedule of fees for the services provided directly to members within a district. (2) After a referendum in which a majority of the members in a district approve the charging of a severance fee, the district may charge the fee, if a membe…

Sec. 50154. (1) The board shall develop the necessary administrative procedures to collect the fees and shall deposit the revenue collected in the district forest management fund. (2) The person responsible for payment of the severance fee is the timber owner before harvest. The …

Sec. 50155. The board shall enforce collection of the fees pursuant to the procedure contained in section 50143.

Sec. 50156. A resolution authorizing bonds to be issued under the power granted in section 50135 may contain provisions, which shall be part of the contract with the holders of the bonds, as to: (a) The use and disposition of the payments received under the agreement, including t…

Sec. 50157. (1) The bonds shall be payable and secured as set forth in the resolution authorizing the issuance. The resolution may provide that the principal of and interest on any bonds issued shall be payable and secured by 1 or more of the following: (a) The net revenues deriv…

Sec. 50158. (1) A district, with the approval of the department, may create and establish 1 or more special debt service reserve funds, to secure its bonds, referred to in this part as approved reserve funds. A district shall pay into an approved reserve fund the money appropriat…

Sec. 50159. The state shall not be liable on bonds of a district, and the bonds shall not be a debt of the state. The bonds shall contain on their face a statement to that effect.

Sec. 50160. (1) This part, and the resolution authorizing the issuance of bonds under this part shall remain applicable until the principal and interest on bonds issued by a district have been fully paid or provided for. The duties of a district and its board under this part and …

Sec. 50161. A district may issue its bonds to refund in whole or part, at any time, bonds previously issued by the district under this part.

Sec. 50162. The bonds of a district shall be authorized by resolution adopted by a majority of the board. The bonds are subject to the revised municipal finance act, 2001 PA 34, MCL 141.2101 to 141.2821.

Sec. 50163. A pledge made by a district shall be valid and binding from the time the pledge is made. The money or property pledged and thereafter received by a district is immediately subject to the lien of the pledge without physical delivery or a further act. The lien of a pled…

Sec. 50164. Neither the members of the board of a district nor a person executing the bonds is personally liable on the bonds or subject to personal liability or accountability by reason of the board's issuance or the person's execution of the bonds.

Sec. 50165. (1) The state pledges and agrees with the holders of bonds issued under this part that the state will not limit or alter the rights vested in a district to fulfill the terms of agreements made with the holders of bonds or in any way impair the rights and remedies of t…

Sec. 50166. The state covenants with the purchasers and all subsequent holders and transferees of bonds issued under this part, in consideration of the acceptance of and payment for the bonds, that the bonds issued under this part and the income from those bonds and all its fees,…

Sec. 501a. The Great Lakes are a binational public treasure and are held in trust by the Great Lakes states and provinces. Management of the water resources of the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes basin is subject to the jurisdiction, rights, and responsibilities of the Great Lake…

Sec. 502. (1) The commission may promulgate rules, not inconsistent with law, governing its organization and procedure. (2) The department may do 1 or more of the following: (a) Promulgate and enforce reasonable rules concerning the use and occupancy of lands and property under i…

Sec. 502a. (1) Upon petition by a person, recommendation of the department, or its own motion, the commission shall place on its agenda at an upcoming meeting of the commission the question of designation of a state land reserve. The petition, recommendation, or motion shall incl…

Sec. 503. (1) The department shall protect and conserve the natural resources of this state; provide and develop facilities for outdoor recreation; prevent the destruction of timber and other forest growth by fire or otherwise; promote the reforesting of forestlands belonging to …

Sec. 50301. The departments of agriculture and rural development and natural resources shall jointly do all of the following: (a) Advise the legislature and the governor on forest management and development and other matters relevant to the development of the forest products indu…

Sec. 50302. The departments of agriculture and rural development and natural resources, jointly, shall annually report to the governor and the legislature on their activities to promote the development of the forest products industry in this state.

Sec. 503a. (1) The environmental protection fund is created within the state treasury. (2) The state treasurer may receive money or other assets from any source for deposit into the environmental protection fund. The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the environmenta…

Sec. 503b. The state treasurer shall comply with the divestment from terror act in making investments under this act.

Sec. 504. (1) The department shall promulgate rules to protect and preserve lands and other property under its control from depredation, damage, or destruction or wrongful or improper use or occupancy. Not more than 10 days after promulgating a rule under this subsection, the dep…

Sec. 505. The department, in pursuing the state's policy of propagating fish for the purpose of stocking the streams and lakes of the state, shall accept federal fish stock for such programs, and shall apply for all federal fish stock programs that do not commit the state to futu…

Sec. 50501. The purpose of this part and of the authority created by this part is to preserve existing jobs, create new jobs, and alleviate and prevent unemployment through the retention, promotion, and development of forestry and forest industries and to protect the health and v…

Sec. 50502. As used in this part: (a) "Authority" means the Michigan forest finance authority created in section 50503. (b) "Board" means the board of directors of the Michigan forest finance authority, except where the context clearly requires a different definition. (c) "Bonds"…

Sec. 50503. The Michigan forest finance authority is created as a body corporate within the department of natural resources and shall be administered under the supervision of the department but shall exercise its prescribed statutory power, duties, and functions independently of …

Sec. 50504. (1) The authority shall be governed by a board of directors consisting of the director, the state treasurer, the director of the department of labor and economic growth, and 6 residents of the state, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate …

Sec. 50505. (1) The authority shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its members. The state forester shall serve as the executive director of the authority. The authority may employ legal and technical experts and other officers, agents, or employees, permane…

Sec. 50506. Except as otherwise provided in this part, the board may do all things necessary or convenient to implement the purposes, objectives, and provisions of this part, and the purposes, objectives, and powers delegated to the board by other laws or executive orders, includ…

Sec. 50507. (1) The authority shall finance only forest management operations and practices consistent with part 525 that follow the guidelines, rules, and objectives prescribed by the department. (2) Funds managed by the authority shall be applied in a manner consistent with par…

Sec. 50508. (1) Except as provided in section 50507(3), the department shall act as the agent for the authority in contracting for the cutting and sale of timber or other forest management operations and practices undertaken by the authority. (2) The state's interest in all exist…

Sec. 50509. (1) The authority may authorize and issue its bonds or notes payable solely from the revenues or funds available to the authority. Bonds and notes of the authority are not a debt or liability of the state and do not create or constitute any indebtedness, liability, or…

Sec. 50510. (1) The authority may issue from time to time bonds or notes in principal amounts the authority considers necessary to provide funds for any purpose, including, but not limited to, all of the following: (a) The payment, funding, or refunding of the principal of, inter…

Sec. 50511. (1) The authority may provide for the issuance of bonds or notes in the amounts the authority considers necessary for the purpose of refunding bonds or notes of the authority then outstanding, including the payment of any redemption premium and interest accrued or to …

Sec. 50512. (1) The authority may authorize and approve an insurance contract, an agreement for a line of credit, a letter of credit, a commitment to purchase notes or bonds, an agreement to remarket bonds or notes, and any other transaction to provide security to assure timely p…

Sec. 50513. Within limitations that shall be contained in the issuance or authorization resolution of the authority, the authority may authorize a member of the board, the executive director, or other officer of the authority to do 1 or more of the following: (a) Sell and deliver…

Sec. 50514. A resolution authorizing bonds or notes may provide for all of the following that shall be part of the contract with the holders of the bonds or notes: (a) A pledge to any payment or purpose all or any part of authority revenues or assets to which its right then exist…

Sec. 50515. A pledge made by the authority shall be valid and binding from the time the pledge is made. The money or property pledged and then received by the authority immediately is subject to the lien of the pledge without a physical delivery or further act. The lien of a pled…