SENATE BILL No. 537
June 13, 2001, Introduced by Senators NORTH, MC MANUS, YOUNG, STEIL, SIKKEMA, KOIVISTO, STILLE, MC COTTER, SHUGARS, DE BEAUSSAERT and GOSCHKA
and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs.
A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled
"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"
(MCL 324.101 to 324.90106) by adding part 360.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 PART 360. ADOPT-A-WATERSHED PROGRAM
2 SEC. 36001. AS USED IN THIS PART:
3 (A) "DEPARTMENT" MEANS THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUAL-
4 ITY ACTING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL
5 RESOURCES.
6 (B) "BODY OF WATER" MEANS A NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL LAKE,
7 POND, OR IMPOUNDMENT; A RIVER, STREAM, OR CREEK WHICH MAY OR MAY
8 NOT BE SERVING AS A DRAIN AS DEFINED BY THE DRAIN CODE OF 1956,
9 1956 PA 40, MCL 280.1 TO 280.630; OR ANY OTHER BODY OF WATER THAT
10 HAS DEFINITE BANKS, A BED, AND VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF A CONTINUED
11 FLOW OR CONTINUED OCCURRENCE OF WATER, INCLUDING THE ST. MARYS,
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1 ST. CLAIR, AND DETROIT RIVERS. INLAND LAKE OR STREAM DOES NOT
2 INCLUDE THE GREAT LAKES OR LAKE ST. CLAIR.
3 (C) "PROGRAM" MEANS THE ADOPT-A-WATERSHED PROGRAM PROVIDED
4 FOR IN SECTION 36002(1).
5 (D) "WATERSHED" MEANS THAT PART OF THE DRAINAGE AREA OF A
6 BODY OF WATER LOCATED WITHIN THIS STATE.
7 SEC. 36002. (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER A PROGRAM
8 ENTITLED THE ADOPT-A-WATERSHED PROGRAM.
9 (2) THE PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL ACTIVI-
10 TIES, BUT SHALL BE DIRECTED PRIMARILY TOWARD BOTH OF THE
11 FOLLOWING:
12 (A) ENCOURAGING AND FACILITATING THE INVOLVEMENT OF VOLUN-
13 TEER GROUPS IN PROTECTING BODIES OF WATER THROUGH WATERSHED-BASED
14 CLEANUP, POLLUTION PREVENTION, AND CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES.
15 (B) ASSISTING VOLUNTEER GROUPS IN SELECTING A SPECIFIC
16 WATERSHED IN WHICH TO CONDUCT THE ACTIVITIES SPECIFIED IN SUBDI-
17 VISION (A).
18 (3) THE DEPARTMENT MAY PROMULGATE RULES IT CONSIDERS NECES-
19 SARY TO IMPLEMENT THIS PART PURSUANT TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCE-
20 DURES ACT OF 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 TO 24.328.
21 (4) THE DEPARTMENT MAY ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS WITH A VOLUN-
22 TEER GROUPS TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM. AN AGREEMENT WITH A VOLUN-
23 TEER GROUP SHALL IDENTIFY THE WATERSHED AND DESCRIBE THE RESPON-
24 SIBILITIES OF THE VOLUNTEER GROUP, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NEED
25 NOT BE LIMITED TO, ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:
26 (A) CLEANUP, POLLUTION PREVENTION, AND CONSERVATION
27 ACTIVITIES IN THE WATERSHED.
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1 (B) PROGRAMS, SEMINARS, AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL AND
2 PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES.
3 (C) ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING AND MONITORING ACTIVITIES IN THE
4 WATERSHED.
5 (D) FUND-RAISING.
6 SEC. 36003. IN IMPLEMENTING THIS PART, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL
7 PROVIDE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING TO VOLUNTEER GROUPS:
8 (A) FUNDING.
9 (B) SUPPORT PERSONNEL.
10 (C) ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING AND MONITORING EQUIPMENT.
11 (D) SIGNS IDENTIFYING THE WATERSHED AND VOLUNTEER GROUP.
12 (E) EDUCATIONAL AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL.
13 SEC. 36004. (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE VOLUNTEER
14 GROUPS CONDUCTING ACTIVITIES UNDER THIS PART WITH DATA INFORMA-
15 TION SHEETS AND SHALL REQUEST THAT THE VOLUNTEER GROUPS RECORD ON
16 THE DATA INFORMATION SHEETS INFORMATION CONCERNING THE
17 FOLLOWING:
18 (A) THE SPECIFIC LOCATION OF THE WATERSHED.
19 (B) WILDLIFE IN THE WATERSHED.
20 (C) THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING AND MONITORING ACTIVITIES.
21 (D) THEIR CLEANUP, POLLUTION PREVENTION, AND CONSERVATION
22 ACTIVITIES.
23 (E) THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE PRIORITY OF THE
24 ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT UNDER THIS PART.
25 (2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COMPILE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM
26 THE DATA INFORMATION SHEETS RECEIVED UNDER SUBSECTION (1) AND
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1 SHALL INCLUDE THIS INFORMATION IN THE REPORT PREPARED UNDER
2 SECTION 36005.
3 SEC. 36005. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ANNUALLY PREPARE A REPORT
4 ON THE IMPLEMENTATION AND PROGRESS OF THE PROGRAM. THE DEPART-
5 MENT SHALL PROVIDE THE GOVERNOR, SENATE, AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
6 TIVES WITH A COPY OF THE REPORT, POST THE REPORT ON ITS WEBSITE,
7 AND MAKE COPIES OF THE REPORT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC UPON
8 REQUEST.
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