A group of Northern Michigan legislators today said abuses by the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that were further detailed in a joint committee hearing have curtailed people’s freedoms, put livelihoods at risk and must be reined in.

A House Oversight subcommittee recently heard testimony from multiple witnesses regarding the DNR’s controversial Invasive Species Order and its enforcement against pig farmers and game ranch owners. Testimony disclosed the DNR has been using deception and undercover enforcement agents to infiltrate farms and kill pigs on hunts instead of simply working with owners to address a concern the department may have had about an animal. Some farmers have been forced to slaughter all or majority of their pigs under order from the DNR if it was determined their pig breeds looked similar to what the department is loosely labeling a “Russian boar,” which has no concrete definition. In addition, some pigs that have been killed under these orders have been sows and don’t fall under the classification of any sort of boar.

A presentation revealed that the number of pig ranches in Michigan has gone from 75 to five since the DNR’s order went into effect in 2012. On Wednesday, a joint hearing of multiple House committees continued discussion on these concerning DNR actions and others, while hearing from U.P. farmers who have been impacted and local officials.

“At the end of the day, this is about bureaucracy not wanting industry to survive,” said state Rep. David Prestin, R-Cedar River. “The DNR has been at war with the breeders and the game farms since 2012. It’s a war that even they can’t explain because they’re trying to get rid of an invasive species that doesn’t actually exist. The DNR is just running around threatening honest game farm operations with scary-looking pigs.

“It’s great to see further discussion regarding this overreach. Enough is enough. This clear weaponization of government has cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and has hurt the Michigan economy dearly.”

“I’m pleased to see the U.P. get a chance to tell its unique story of government overreach,” added state Rep. Karl Bohnak, R-Deerton. “The DNR is making our local pig farmers out to be a major threat when all they’re doing is making an honest living. Today, we gave U.P. residents an opportunity to share these experiences directly with our elected officials, that way we can prevent similar overreach from happening in the future. We need a government focused on working for us, not going after us.”

The House Natural Resources and Tourism Committee, Agriculture and Rural Development and Natural Resources Appropriatons Subcommittee, and the Weaponization of State Government Oversight Subcommittee also heard testimony from musician and Michigan outdoorsman Ted Nugent on needed accountability for the DNR.

“This hearing was yet another example of the gigantic disconnect between bureaucracy in Lansing and our U.P. way of life,” said state Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock. “The DNR’s job is not to make laws. We must continue to protect people’s livelihoods and our state’s heritage of outdoor recreation.”