By AMY ROBINSON
Legislation's been introduced in Lansing to make some changes in how the DNR purchases state land.
The issue centers on what are called "Ecoregions." Those are large areas of the state with similar ecologies. The DNR uses the regions when considering land acquisitions.
But now, Republican State Senator Darwin Booher said ecoregions are too broad a basis for land purchases. Senator Booher will take over as Chair of the Capital Outlay committee in January.
"We are the only ones who can spend it, but we have to have the project that we're spending on, specific. That's not what Ecoregions do. Ecoregions gives you the whole state, you can buy anywhere within the whole state."
The DNR said it developed ecoregions in the 1960. There are four ecoregions in Michigan. They've been used for considering land acquisitions since the mid-2000s.
Still, Ed Golder with the DNR said the department is ready to take a look at the changes that Senator Booher is suggesting.
"We haven't done a thorough analysis of this bill, but in terms of Senator Booher's overall point of wanting more transparency in the process and wanting to know which specific parcels we'd like to acquire, we'd certainly like to work with him on that."
Senator Booher's bill on ecosystems has been introduced and is headed for hearings in the Natural Resources committee.