LANSING, MI – The state Department of Natural Resources is facing deep cuts under a House Republican proposal that Democrats are calling “budget malpractice” as the two sides approach a potential government shutdown.

State officials say a Republican proposal to cut more than 430 full-time positions at the DNR would cause negative ripples across statewide wildlife and fishery conservation programs, dam safety plans, and even Michigan’s ability to fight wildfires.

Republicans who control the state House argue that billions in “waste, fraud, and abuse” should be slashed from the state budget — including $53 million from the DNR, which amounts to a 10% cut in the agency’s current budget.

Meanwhile, a proposal coming out of the Democrat-controlled Senate would increase hunting, fishing an

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