Sec. 50111.

(1) A forest restoration pilot project organized as a forest improvement district with a gross territorial boundary encompassing the western 6 counties of the Upper Peninsula of this state with its headquarters and industrial site in or near the village of Baraga shall be established as a governmental subdivision of the state when a petition signed by 25 or more landowners of a total combined acreage of more than 55,000 acres within the gross territorial boundary is filed with the department. The name of the district shall be the “western Upper Peninsula forest improvement district”. The petition shall set forth those requirements prescribed by section 50124(1)(a), (b), and (e). The district forester of the department may sign the petition and include in the petition forest lands under the jurisdiction of the department to establish 1 working forest within each district. In the western Upper Peninsula pilot project district, at least 25% of the lands shall be composed of nonindustrial private timber owners of at least 40-acre tracts and not more than 640-acre tracts. Not more than 15,000 acres in each district may be owned by 1 timber owner. One timber owner shall not have a majority ownership in more than 1 working forest in a district. One timber owner of more than 7,500 acres shall not vote for a director from more than 1 working forest.

(2) The pilot project district shall give preference to land well stocked predominantly with hardwood trees and may include other broadleaf trees having approximately 6 inches or more diameter breast height and having above average future market values to expedite marketability from the restructuring of the land.

(3) The selection of land composing each working forest in the pilot project district shall be made from the written applications received from the timber owners on application forms prescribed by a committee composed of 7 members, 3 of whom shall be the 3 directors of forest restoration, inc., and 4 of whom shall be members of the public appointed by these 3 directors. Not less than 4 members of the committee shall be graduate foresters who have had at least 5 years' experience supervising logging operations. The committee shall select the land and may employ a full-time forester.

(4) When the selection of land is made and the working forests identified, the committee shall establish a sequence for the activation of the working forests in the pilot project district when, and as, a substantial use for or marketing of waste wood becomes available, if more than 4 working forests are identified. When the working forests are to be activated, the forest management plans of the members shall be approved, and the members of each activated working forest then shall elect a director of the district.

(5) The department or any other state agency shall remit to the western Upper Peninsula forest improvement district funds appropriated for such purposes by the legislature.

(6) The funds otherwise appropriated for the western Upper Peninsula forest improvement district shall be determined and allocated to produce the greatest public benefit based on the following factors:

(a) The potential economic benefits of forest practices which can be recognized by the establishment of the western Upper Peninsula forest improvement district.

(b) The potential benefits to long-term production, maintenance, and enhancement of the total forest resource system.

(c) The potential benefits from a large-volume use of waste wood as a primary fuel for electric generating plants or as raw material for processing and manufacturing plants.

(d) The potential increased employment produced by the adoption of forest practices.

History: Add. 1995, Act 57, Imd. Eff. May 24, 1995 Popular Name: Act 451Popular Name: NREPA