It’s rally time

Sportsmen question DNR, DEQ operations

By JOHN PEPIN, Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE — More than 300 angry sportsmen packed a meeting room at the Ramada Inn in Marquette Saturday, trying to galvanize support for an overhaul of the inner management and fiscal workings of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.


“We want better service and we want better response for the people,” said Rory Mattson, executive director of the Delta Conservation District, one of the rally organizers. “The Yoopers are mad.”


Mattson said organizers received 1,123 calls from interested persons living in the Upper Peninsula and 436 calls from Lower Peninsula residents prior to the rally.


He said there are literally a few thousand examples available of people who have had unfavorable recent experiences in dealing with the DNR and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.


Much of Saturday’s two-hour session involved Mattson and others detailing problems they’ve documented, including funds dedicated for fish and game funds used for non-game wildlife programs, the DNR skewing results and meeting focus by selecting a majority of DNR personnel for membership on an important Conservation Summit Committee, heavy handed law enforcement, too much money spent on administration of programs, conflicting and poor management decisions, problems obtaining public information and the DNR and DEQ wasting money.


Natural Resources Commission members John Madigan of Munising and J.R. Richardson of Ontonagon attended the rally and said they would take the concerns expressed at the rally back to Lansing.


“I can understand why people are frustrated,” Richardson said. “A lot of this is all about communication. There’s a lot of frustration because of the lack of communication.”


Madigan said the NRC and the DNR need to work to improve their images. The agencies have made mistakes in communicating budget issues.


“We need to involve these groups, because they are willing to help,” Madigan said. “Obviously a lot of issues came up.”


He said another message he heard was that the sportsmen are willing to pay fees as long as they are getting a good product in return.


State Rep. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, was among five state lawmakers who attended the rally. He said he was glad to see the issues had fire up residents.


“I thought it was a great day, with all the people showing up,” Casperson said. “It’s good to see people caring so much about something.”


Earlier this winter, Casperson and a handful of other legislators had planned to groom state ski trails in Delta County and elsewhere when the DNR threatened to stop the practice because of a reported lack of funding.


The DNR later relented.


Casperson said he thinks those at the rally Saturday were frustrated with legislators for allowing “some of this stuff to go on” within the DNR.


The Upper Peninsula Sportsmen’s Alliance recently asked Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s office to investigate the DNR, after the agency ended its fiscal year with a $10 million fund balance in the Game and Fish Protection Fund.


Throughout the year, DNR officials had said the agency would need a sharp increase in hunting and fishing license fees to avoid cutting positions and slashing department programs important to anglers and hunters.


Granholm representatives said an agency investigation would not be necessary, expecting recent reforms announced by the DNR to better inform the public would help improve the situation.


But Saturday, speakers at the rally were still calling for an investigation and a change of mindset of the DNR.


Mattson said independent research using experts and retired and current DNR and DEQ employees has determined the DNR could be run more efficiently at a third of the cost, while the DEQ could achieve the same goal for two-thirds of the money now being spent.


Other speakers said the idea of never-ending DNR cuts to programs coupled with increased calls for more money cannot be continued as “business as usual,” the DNR’s checkbooks should be made available on the Internet for transparency to the public, term limits for legislators should be eliminated, the NRC should be disbanded and a new director named for the DNR.


Richardson said he’s glad he came to the meeting.


“People have to vent and share their opinions and we have to know them so we can bring them downstate,” Richardson said. “I think it’s healthy.”


The DNR has public meetings scheduled for March 8 in Marquette, with a partial NRC committee, to listen and act on some of the concerns of area sportsmen.