UPDATE June 23, 2023, 4:45 p.m.
Debate over what to do with roadkill may lead to the dissolution of a Northern Michigan county road commission, officials said Friday.
The Grand Traverse County Board was hoping to find a solution to the road commission’s stopping the removal of roadkill after they say they were under threat of being fined by the DNR.
On Wednesday there was a vote to look at options for disposal of roadkill, and that includes possibly dissolving the road commission. The vote was approved 6 to 3.
Two county commissioners 9&10 talked to stressed that the county road commission does a great job.
The county road association of Michigan say they have been watching the situation unfolding in Grand Traverse County and find it concerning there’s discussion of dissolving the board simply over the roadkill controversy and not for something more egregious.
May 9, 2023, 6:57 a.m.
A Northern Michigan lawmaker is hoping to solve the problem after the Grand Traverse County Road Commission stopped picking up roadkill under threat of fines by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
State House Representative John Roth, along with other state lawmakers, have signed a letter urging the DNR to clarify rules regarding roadkill and how to properly dispose of it.
The Road Commission stopped providing the service after they accused the DNR of threatening to fine them for removing roadkill and disposing of it on state land.
Roth has proposed coming up with a list of procedures between the DNR and the Road Commission, as well as establishing deposit sites that both parties can agree to.
RELATED: Road Commission Won’t Pick Up Roadkill Until Issue with DNR Is Resolved
Roth also said this is an issue that’s not isolated to just Grand Traverse County.
“Road commissions are getting conflicting information on what they can do with roadkill. Now, the DNR have reached out and gave us some information. There’s still a few things that I think we need to work on, but this seems to be an issue all the way from Wayne County to Hillsdale County to Grand Traverse to the Upper Peninsula,” said Roth.
Twenty other state lawmakers from around the state have signed this letter asking for clarification.
To see the letter or to see a complete list of lawmakers, click here.
