Lawmakers say a U.P. NRC would recognize and respect the Peninsula’s unique natural resources and wildlife

State Reps. Dave Prestin, Greg Markkanen, Parker Fairbairn, and Karl Bohnak this month announced their plan to create a separate National Resources Commission that would oversee the Upper Peninsula. Currently, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission has rulemaking jurisdiction over hunting and fishing across the entire state, which often leads to broad-stroke rulings that don’t respect the unique nature of U.P. wildlife and natural resources.

“There are numerous distinct differences between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, and the list keeps growing,” said Prestin, R-Cedar River. “It truly is a tale of two peninsulas. The U.P. has wolves and Cougar, the Lower Peninsula does not. Moose in our peninsula, Elk in theirs. We have far too few whitetail deer due to out-of-control predation, and they have far too many. Yet, the NRC continues to clamor about how their statewide decisions are what’s best for everyone, when those same decisions are clearly putting the U.P. in jeopardy.”

The U.P. has unique challenges, such as a predator-prey imbalance that threatens the fragile whitetail deer population, which is in decline as the whitetail population in lower Michigan is exploding at an alarming rate.

“The imbalance between the Upper and Lower Peninsula wildlife proves how ridiculous it is to try to make rules that apply to everyone simultaneously,” said Markkanen, R-Hancock. “If a parent has a teenager and an infant, you don’t just feed everyone mashed peas and carrots. You make a plan that suits the unique needs of each child. Similarly, we need our own NRC that will recognize the unique needs of the U.P. wildlife, not one that just forces more mashed peas down our throats.”

Despite obvious signs like this that the U.P. needs special attention to resolve longstanding and growing issues, the existing NRC has only scheduled one meeting in the Upper Peninsula this year, giving limited opportunity for the commission to engage with the people who have the most direct experiences with the U.P.’s unique environment.

“The U.P. deserves honest representation when it comes to decisions over its natural resources,” said Fairbairn, R-Harbor Springs. “The fact that the current NRC only decided to meet in the U.P. once this year is glaring proof of where its priorities lie. The NRC cannot simultaneously say they can handle and understand U.P. wildlife and then choose to ignore us all the same. It’s not right and proves exactly why we need our own NRC.”

House Bills 4783-4786 would establish a dedicated Upper Peninsula Natural Resources Commission that would address challenges specific to the Upper Peninsula and ensure the sustainable management of natural resources.

“This legislation really underscores our Peninsula over Party mission as a united U.P. delegation,” said Bohnak, R-Deerton. “For years, Republicans and Democrats have joined together to secure our own U.P. NRC because we recognize the people best suited to make decisions about our natural resources are those who live in the U.P.”

The U.P. NRC would have exclusive authority to regulate the taking of game and sport fish within the Upper Peninsula. Commissioners would be appointed by the governor from a list compiled by legislators representing the Upper Peninsula, ensuring local representation and accountability.

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