324.504 Department of natural resources; rules for protection and preservation of lands and property; duties of department; report; applicability of subsections (2) and (3) to commercial forestland; certain rules prohibited; orders; violation as civil infraction; fine.
Sec. 504.
(1) The department shall promulgate rules to protect and preserve lands and other property under its control from depredation, damage, or destruction or wrongful or improper use or occupancy.
(2) Subject to subsection (4), the department shall do all of the following:
(a) Keep land under its control open to hunting unless the department determines that the land should be closed to hunting because of public safety, fish or wildlife management, or homeland security concerns or as otherwise required by law.
(b) Manage land under its control to support and promote hunting opportunities to the extent authorized by law.
(c) Manage land under its control to prevent any net decrease in the acreage of such land that is open to hunting.
(3) Subject to subsection (4), by April 1, 2010 and each year thereafter, the department shall submit to the legislature a report that includes all of the following:
(a) The location and acreage of land under its control previously open to hunting that the department closed to hunting during the 1-year period ending the preceding March 1, together with the reasons for the closure.
(b) The location and acreage of land under its control previously closed to hunting that the department opened to hunting during the 1-year period ending the preceding March 1 to compensate for land closed to hunting under subdivision (a).
(4) Subsections (2) and (3) do not apply to commercial forestland as defined in section 51101.
(5) This section does not authorize the department to promulgate a rule that applies to commercial fishing except as otherwise provided by law.
(6) The department shall not promulgate or enforce a rule that prohibits an individual who is licensed or exempt from licensure under 1927 PA 372, MCL 28.421 to 28.435, from carrying a pistol in compliance with that act, whether concealed or otherwise, on property under the control of the department.
(7) The department shall issue orders necessary to implement rules promulgated under this section. These orders shall be effective upon posting.
(8 ) A person who violates a rule promulgated under this section or an order issued under this section is responsible for a state civil infraction and may be ordered to pay a civil fine of not more than $500.00.
