North Michigan News

State Rep. Ken Borton has advocated for changes to state law that would decriminalize the feeding of birds and other wildlife in Michigan. He appeared before the House Natural Resources and Tourism Committee to support this legislation intended to ensure residents can feed wildlife without legal repercussions.

Rep. Borton, a Republican from Gaylord, expressed his motive clearly, stating, "Feeding wildlife should not be a prosecutable offense in Michigan. We want our grandkids to sit by the window with bated breath when a blue jay or a black bear appears in the backyard. Those are core memories that help young people fall in love with the great outdoors." Borton criticized the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), saying, "They should be chasing down poachers, not little old women with an affinity for bird watching."

Borton's connection to this issue is personal, as he and his wife Brenda operate the Snowman Cam, a live stream from their backyard that allows people worldwide to observe Northern Michigan wildlife. Despite ongoing observation, Borton was cited by the DNR in 2010, accused of baiting deer. A judge dismissed the case, restricting DNR access to his property. However, another incident occurred months later with a similar DNR citation, which Borton also managed to have dismissed in court.

Borton explained, "My attorney told me the DNR would probably continue to fine me and take me to court until I either ran out of money or gave up. He said the only solution was changing state law. Fifteen years later, here I am still trying to do just that."

House Bill 4350 proposes conditions for recreational wildlife feeding: feed placed either for viewing purposes or to prevent starvation must be within 300 feet of a residence, and only up to two gallons of feed can be distributed at one time. This bill is under consideration in the Natural Resources and Tourism Committee.