Title 324, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Sec. 51501. As used in this part: (a) "All hazard incident" means an incident, whether natural or human-caused, that requires an organized response by a public, private, or governmental entity to protect life, public health or safety, or other values or to minimize any disruption…

Sec. 51502. The department shall have charge of the prevention and suppression of forest fires and shall appoint assistants as needed to implement this part.

Sec. 51503. (1) At any time the ground is not snow-covered, a person shall not burn any flammable material on or adjacent to forest land, except for domestic purposes, without a permit from the department. (2) The department shall set the times of day and, consistent with this pa…

Sec. 51503b. (1) Prescribed burning does not constitute a public or private nuisance when conducted in compliance with this part, part 55, and rules promulgated to implement this part or part 55. (2) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), a property owner or his or her agent conduct…

Sec. 51503c. (1) Before conducting a prescribed burn, the department shall attempt to notify by telephone and electronic mail the township supervisor and the primary public safety answering point of each township where the prescribed burn is to take place. The department shall ma…

Sec. 51504. A person shall not do any of the following: (a) Dispose of a lighted match, cigarette, cigar, ashes or other flaming or glowing substances, or any other substance or thing that is likely to ignite a forest, brush, grass, or woods fire; or throw or drop from a moving v…

Sec. 51505. Any person maintaining or operating a refuse disposal facility shall provide devices and conditions that will promote the safe operation and guard against the escape of fire. The department may promulgate rules for the implementation of this section. This part does no…

Sec. 51506. (1) Except as provided in section 51503b, a person who, in violating this part, causes a forest or grass fire is liable for all damages resulting from that fire, including the cost of any governmental unit fighting the fire. This subsection does not apply to a violati…

Sec. 51507. (1) Whenever the governor finds that conditions of extreme fire hazard exist and that it is necessary in the public interest and for the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, he or she may forbid, by proclamation, the use of fire by any person entering…

Sec. 51509. (1) Except as provided in section 51503b, a person who sets fire on any land and negligently allows the fire to escape and become a forest or grass fire is liable for all expenses incurred by the state in the suppression of the fire. (2) The department shall certify, …

Sec. 51510. (1) A person shall not do any of the following: (a) Willfully, maliciously, or wantonly set fire or cause or procure to be set on fire any forest land, lands adjacent to forest land, or flammable material on such forest land. (b) Willfully, maliciously, or wantonly se…

Sec. 51511. Any duly authorized officer, employee, or agent of the department, in the performance of his or her duty, may enter upon or enter into any premises on or in which he or she has reasonable cause to believe a violation of this part is occurring. For purposes of this sec…

Sec. 51512. Any person who violates this part or any rule promulgated under this part is guilty of a misdemeanor. Any person convicted of violating section 51510 is guilty of a felony and upon conviction shall be imprisoned for not more than 10 years or fined not more than $10,00…

Sec. 51513. (1) The department shall administer this part and shall promulgate rules necessary to implement this part. The department shall adopt rules governing prescribed burning and for certifying and decertifying prescribed burn managers based on their past experience, traini…

Sec. 51514. The department may enter into agreements with other states, territories of the United States, the federal government, Canada, or provinces of Canada to provide assistance and to accept assistance in the control of forest fires and all hazard incidents, including the t…

Sec. 51701. The state or a department, bureau, board, commission, or other agency of the state or a political subdivision of the state shall not enact, adopt, promulgate, enforce, or practice any law, rule, policy, or concept that creates or tends to create a condition that promo…

Sec. 51702. To the extent authorized by law, all acts and parts of acts or rules promulgated pursuant to acts or parts that are inconsistent with this part are repealed.

Sec. 51901. Any person who cuts any forest growth within any public road or highway, or on land bordering on any public road or highway in this state, shall dispose of all cutting, slash, and debris resulting from the cutting, and dead stubs and windfalls from the area cut over s…

Sec. 51902. All cuttings of forest growth, slash, and debris resulting from the construction and maintenance of any railroad, that is a common carrier, telephone, telegraph, power, oil and gas line, or other public utility shall be disposed of by the person either directly or ind…

Sec. 51903. All cuttings of forest growth, slash, and debris referred to in sections 51901 and 51902 shall be disposed of within 30 days after cutting the same in the manner prescribed by the department. The disposal shall not be injurious to or endanger public or private propert…

Sec. 51904. If cuttings of forest growth, slash, and debris are not disposed of as provided under section 51903, the department shall notify, by registered mail, the person responsible for the cuttings of the requirements imposed for the removal or elimination of fire hazards. If…

Sec. 51905. Any person who violates this part is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not more than $100.00, or both. If through the violation of this part any damage or injury is suffered by the owner of any property, the per…

Sec. 51906. All rules, regulations, and specifications prescribed under this part shall be prescribed in accordance with 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.

Sec. 5201. As used in this part: (a) "Asset management program" means the program that identifies the desired level of service at the lowest life cycle cost for rehabilitating, repairing, or replacing the assets associated with a municipality's wastewater or storm water system. (…

Sec. 5202. (1) The authority in consultation with the department shall establish a strategic water quality initiatives loan program. This loan program shall provide low interest loans to municipalities to provide assistance for 1 or more of the following: (a) Improvements to redu…

Sec. 5203. (1) A municipality that wishes to apply for a loan shall submit a loan application to the department as follows: (a) In compliance with the application requirements provided in part 53, for activities described in section 5202(1)(a) or (b). (b) On a form approved by th…

Sec. 5204. (1) The strategic water quality initiatives fund is created within the state treasury. (2) The state treasurer may receive money or other assets from any source for deposit into the fund. The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the fund. The state treasurer …

Sec. 5204a. (1) The authority, in conjunction with the department, shall establish a strategic water quality initiatives grant program that provides grants totaling not more than $80,000,000.00 to eligible municipalities. The grant program shall provide assistance to municipaliti…

Sec. 5204b. (1) Subject to section 5204c, the department may expend, upon appropriation, not more than $140,000,000.00 of the money from the fund for response activities to address nonpoint source water pollution at facilities as follows: (a) For the state fiscal year ending Sept…

Sec. 5204c. (1) The department may expend $10,000,000.00 of money from the fund to provide brownfield redevelopment grants and loans to municipalities and brownfield redevelopment authorities created under the brownfield redevelopment financing act, 1996 PA 381, MCL 125.2651 to 1…

Sec. 5204d. The state may establish a grant program within the strategic water quality initiatives fund for the purpose of funding specific wastewater treatment facility infrastructure improvement projects designed to prevent chronic discharges and projected to have significant r…

Sec. 5204e. (1) In addition to other requirements of this part, the grant program shall provide grants to municipalities for sewage collection and treatment systems or stormwater or nonpoint source pollution control as provided for in this section. (2) The grant program is subjec…

Sec. 5204f. (1) The department, in conjunction with the authority, shall establish a wetland mitigation bank funding program that provides grants and loans totaling not more than $10,000,000.00 to eligible municipalities. Of the money expended under this subsection, up to $500,00…

Sec. 5205. The department may promulgate rules to implement this part.

Sec. 5206. The legislature finds and declares that the environmental, natural resources, and water quality protection programs implemented under this part are a public purpose and of paramount public concern in the interest of the health, safety, and general welfare of the citize…

Sec. 52501. As used in this part: (a) "Breast height" means 4.5 feet from highest ground at the base of the tree. (b) "Certification" means a process where an independent third party organization assesses and evaluates forest management practices according to the standards of a c…

Sec. 52502. (1) The department shall manage the state forest in a manner that is consistent with principles of sustainable forestry. (2) In fulfilling the requirements of subsection (1), the department shall do all of the following: (a) Manage forests with consideration of their …

Sec. 52503. (1) The department shall adopt a forestry development, conservation, and recreation management plan for state-owned lands owned or controlled by the department. Parks and recreation areas, state game areas, and other wildlife areas on these lands shall be managed acco…

Sec. 52504. (1) The department shall harvest timber from the state forest and other state owned lands owned or controlled by the department in compliance with the plan and any plan updates. (2) Unless otherwise dedicated by law, proceeds from the sale of timber from the state for…

Sec. 52505. (1) The department shall seek and maintain third-party certification that the management of the state forest and other state owned lands owned or controlled by the department satisfies the sustainable forestry standards of at least 1 credible nonprofit, nongovernmenta…

Sec. 52506. By January 1 of each year, the department shall prepare and submit to the natural resources commission, the standing committees of the senate and the house of representatives with primary jurisdiction over forestry issues, and the senate and house appropriations commi…

Sec. 52701. As used in this part: (a) "Forestry commission" means a forestry commission appointed by a municipality pursuant to this part. (b) "Legislative body" means any board of supervisors, township board, city or village legislative body, or school district board. (c) "Munic…

Sec. 52702. Any municipality may acquire by purchase, gift, or devise, or may provide land already in its possession, and use the land for a forestry or recreational purpose, or both, either within or outside of the territorial limits of the municipality, and may carry on forestr…

Sec. 52703. The legislative body of any municipality desiring to proceed under this part may appoint a forestry commission for the municipality to consist of 3 members, only 1 of whom shall be a member of the legislative body making the appointment. The members of a forestry comm…

Sec. 52704. A forestry commission shall supervise and manage all land of the municipality devoted to forestry and provide labor on forest land by foresters and others as may be necessary for the proper care and maintenance of the land as a forest producing area, to make reasonabl…

Sec. 52705. Every forestry commission shall annually at a time to be designated by the legislative body make a report to the legislative body showing the activities of the forestry commission and embracing a detailed statement of its receipts and expenditures during the preceding…