MI HB5992

Changes the Department of Environmental Quality to Department of Natural Resources and Environment in wetland protection statute definitions and references.

Requires the department to pursue an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for state programmatic general permits and mandates permit decisions within 30 days of Corps action or by the standard processing period, whichever is later.

Establishes a Wetland Advisory Council with representatives from state departments, federal agencies, and various stakeholder groups including home builders, conservation organizations, environmental protection groups, farmers, realtors, and Indian tribes to review program efficiency and make recommendations.

Prohibits department guidelines, bulletins, and interpretive statements from having the force of law or being cited for enforcement, and requires adoption of new guidance for evaluating feasible and prudent alternatives by November 6, 2010.

Adds 27 types of rare and imperiled wetlands to the statute definition, including Great Lakes marshes, fens, prairies, swamps, and floodplain forests; council automatically repeals April 1, 2013.