Gov. Snyder vetoes bill that could restrict sustainable forest management

Thursday, January 15, 2015

On Jan. 15  Gov. Rick Snyder  vetoed a bill that could have restricted the Michigan Department of Natural Resources from effectively and sustainably managing forests, potentially putting Michigan’s natural resources at risk. 

“Biodiversity is essential to how our world-class natural resources are managed,” Snyder said. “While there may be opportunities to look into our forest management practices, reducing biodiversity authority will only cause confusion and hurt our forests.” 

Senate Bill 78, sponsored by state Sen. Tom Casperson, would have restricted the tools the department could use for managing forests for biodiversity. In his veto letter, (See below) the governor wrote that this legislation could also threaten forest certification, which is critical in maintaining forest products industries.

Area lawmakers take Oaths of Office

    The Pomp & Circumstance of government was on display this past Sunday (Jan. 4) at the Livingston County Historical Courthouse. Before family and friends, Dr. Henry Vaupel and Lana Theis took their Oaths of Office as members of the Michigan House of Representatives. Both were newly-elected to two-year terms in the recent General Election. Both are Republicans.

    Vaupel represents the 47^th District which includes the areas of Howell, Hartland, and Fowlerville, while Theis represents the 42nd District which covers the areas of Brighton and Hamburg-Pinckney.

    On hand for the ceremony were the two people they are replacing-- Bill Rogers and Cindy Denby-- neither of whom could run for their seats again due to term limits. In the House, the limit is three two-year terms.

   The setting gave the occasion a gravitas, taking place as it did inside the county’s original court chambers on the upper floor; a location where so many judicial proceedings have been held since the late 1800’s, where countless other (earlier) oaths-of-office were administered, with photos of past judges hanging on the walls, and with the ornate and colorful interior wall and ceiling designs evoking a long-age era.