The reason I'm writing you this letter before I head up north to be with my family this November 15th, is to ask you to spend a few minutes doing something for the outdoors before you head off to the woods with your own family and friends.
Before you pack your gear, take a second to reflect on the bounty that Michigan's great out-of-doors holds for all the sportsmen and women in the state. And before you leave town, take a few minutes to contact three people that would make a big difference to Michigan's natural resources.
As many of you know, the Governor has an Executive Order (EO) that would allow her to appoint the Director of our new Department of Natural Resources, instead of the Natural Resource Commission. MUCC was founded back in 1937 with the goal of reducing the amount of politics in natural resource management. This move in the EO is a step backward. Instead of having a bi-partisan body in charge of appointing who oversees the management of our resources, we will now have a political party in control. It's our natural resources that are getting the short end of this stick.
The Senate has passed a resolution to send the EO back to the Governor and we need the House to do the same.
Please call or email these three House leaders: (1) Speaker Andy Dillon, (2) Majority Floor Leader Kathy Angerer and (3) Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes. Tell them that you are a Michigan sportsman or woman and that you want House Concurrent Resolution 32 (HCR 32) voted on and passed. This resolution will send the Executive Order back to the Governor. If there's one argument that should ring true as Michigan continues to face its economic struggles, it's the economic contribution sportsmen and women have on Michigan's economy. Collectively, we sportsmen and women spend $3.4 billion each year in Michigan, which has an additional economic ripple effect of $5.9 billion. Tell these lawmakers that that you deserve to have a voice in the management of our natural resources. Science, not politics, should drive the management of our natural resources!
