How the Michigan DNR Found that $10 Million

Michigan DNR Director, Rebecca Humphries, took time to explain to the Outdoor Writers Association how the agency suddenly found $10 million at the end of 2007.

The Fish and Game Fund is maintained to provide revenues for the operation of the DNR's Fish, Wildlife, and Law Enforcement programs. It was established in 1986. The balance the DNR tries to keep in the fund is $10 million.

But midyear 2007 the projection was that the fund would finish the year with only about $4 million. (The DNR web site projects that the fund will be $45 million dollars in the hole in 2011.)

At about the same time the DNR enacted a hiring freeze, and purchasing freeze. By October, with these temporary cost savings the fund was looking better-- projected to be at $7.8 million by the end of the year.

Then came hunting season, and hunting was up. So more revenue came in from license sales.

And finally, when investments were tallied at the end of the year, these had done very well.

Humphries concluded that the DNR was in the black for 2007 and should be for 2008. But she noted that the DNR is still in search of a long-term funding solution.

read more in the Ludington Daily News, "DNR seeking funding", by Brian Mulherin, Feb 4, 2008
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