LANSING – The budget for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources moved to the full House Appropriations Committee on Thursday without any of the fee increases Governor Rick Snyder had proposed, but Rep. Jon Bumstead, chair of the committee, said those fees could come back later if the interest groups involved can agree on a plan.

In particular, Snyder had proposed more than doubling the off-road vehicle permit fee to $35 from the current $16.25. The additional $2.5 million was earmarked for trail improvements around the state.

But Bumstead (R-Newaygo) said there was not now agreement among the various trail user groups on increasing that fee.

“We need to come to some sort of agreement how we’re going to fund the trail system,” he said. “Right now everybody has their own direction.”

He is planning workgroup meetings on the issue in the coming months to develop a plan.

The budget (HB 5386 ) also dropped plans for an $11 fee to replace various safety certificates, to have generated $74,400. Among those was the ORV safety certificate.

A $5 fee for state-owned shooting ranges, worth $50,000, also did not make the budget. The change would depend on legislation that would allow the department to charge the fee. Currently, it only has authority to charge for use of shooting ranges at state parks.

State parks did get a $225,000 boost, as the budget provides additional funds from the State Park Endowment Fund.

As Gongwer News Service reported earlier, the budget does not include the Summer Youth Initiative, or the $3 million general fund to pay for it, that would have allowed the department to target youth in Detroit, Flint, Pontiac and Saginaw for summer jobs at its facilities.

The budget did include the Dam Management Grant Program to pay for maintenance or removal of failing dams, but at only $2.45 million, a $50,000 cut from the executive recommendation. The subcommittee did agree to language making the program a work project, meaning left over funds would not have to be reappropriated, but required that the grant applications include long-term plans for using the funds.

The budget as reported totals $334.1 million, a 2.9 percent cut from current year and $5.6 million less than the governor’s recommendation. The $16.4 million general fund is a 10.3 percent cut from current year and $3.2 million less than the executive.

D.E.Q.: The House Appropriations Environmental Quality Subcommittee also moved its budget (HB 5379 ) Thursday without a key fee proposal.

Snyder had projected $648,000 for the budget from increasing the large water withdrawal fee to $250 from $200 and requiring agricultural users to pay it. The money was to replace $325,000 in Clean Michigan Initiative funds that are no longer available, a $205,200 funding authorization for which there is not actually revenue, and $103,900 for one full time and one part time position in the program. The subcommittee nixed the fee increase, the CMI funds and the new positions.

Otherwise the budget largely follows the executive recommendation for funding.

The bill would provide $430.77 million gross, a 0.4 percent increase from current year, though a $761,900 cut from the executive. General fund is $29.07 million, a 2.4 percent increase, but $333,000 less than the executive.

Among the few changes, the subcommittee designated $300,000 in CMI funds for an engineering study at the Wickes Manufacturing site and added the DEQ to the list of departments involved in the Clean Sweep program to address household hazardous chemicals and unneeded prescription drugs.

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