Early this week, the Senate Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Committee approved a handful of bills (SB 218, SB 243, SB 252) that are aimed at creating an emergency loan program for dredging at private marinas. The legislation would also earmark a specific amount of state funding to dredging for the next three years.

SB 218 unanimously was reported and would allow water resource improvement tax increment finance authorities to dredge territories and shorelines of the Great Lakes harbors.

SB 243 was reported with much more hesitancy because it would create a series of regulations on the state’s dredging program. This bill would require the Department of Natural Resources to conduct an assessment (every three years) of all Michigan harbors to determine if dredging and/or infrastructure improvements are necessary.

SB 252 would specifically set up the loan program which has the state paying 5 percent of the loan’s principal with loans limited to five-year terms and a maximum cost of $500,000 per marina.
Thursday, the full Senate acted on the proposals, moving the measures to the House of Representatives for consideration.

The same committee also acted on two more dredging-related measures later in the week – SB 229 and SB 264. The prior is the subject of great debate regarding the intent of the Natural Resources Trust Fund and the authority (or lack thereof) of the Legislature to change the use of those dollars. The latter serves to streamline the permit process for dredging.