SB-1058 Summary

• Amends the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) to expand evaluation protocols beyond traditional farming practices to include voluntary assessment of non-agricultural land management for environmental and economic benefits.

• Adds definitions for forestry-related terms and creates new advisory council responsibilities, including recommendations for assessment tools to evaluate forest management, wetland restoration, and habitat development on agricultural properties.

• Establishes that regional environmental assurance teams must provide on-site evaluations of potential environmental, ecological, and economic benefits from managing non-production agriculture areas including timber management and habitat restoration.

• Requires the Environmental Assurance Advisory Council to submit a recommendation within one year of enactment for an assessment tool to help landowners evaluate benefits of alternative land management practices on non-agricultural portions of their properties.

• Bill effectiveness is contingent on concurrent enactment of SB 1057, SB 1059, SB 1061, SB 1062, HB 4302, HB 4969, and HB 4970.