MDNR tournament permit requests for 2010 - Info Links UPDATED*

[djkimmel]

**UPDATE 11/10/09 from the MDNR**
For various reasons, the tournament permit process is in a little flux right now with the MDNR considering changes. As of today for the 2010 season, DO NOT SEND ANY MONEY UNLESS your event will have 50 boats (vehical/trailers) or greater. If you have 50 boats or more, the permit fee will be $50 for weekdays and $100 for Saturday or Sunday.

These are the only tournament fees the MDNR will be collecting as of now for the 2010 season. More information should be available over the next few weeks as the present system is being re-evaluated. There may be delays caused by the upcoming January merger between the MDNR and MDEQ into the new MDNRE though.

The MDNR still asks that you notify each local office of all your tournament events at MDNR public access sites so other groups can see if someone is already noted on a site on a specific day. This is not a guaranty at this time but has helped minimize conflicts and crowding the previous two seasons. Use the form PR-1138 at www.michigan.gov/dnrlanduse to notify the appropriate local office. You can search by county on this web page by clicking the Map of Contact Information link.

You can also identify the correct local office mailing address by checking the name of the site on www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mrbis - a useful resource for public access sites, directions and online lake maps.

Motor vehicle permits are still required at MDNR public access sites with an attendant on duty or a collection post, and at MDNR state parks. There is legislation out that would remove the need for state park and boating access permits. Find out more at Citizens for Michigan State Parks on the Recreation Passport Proposal.
Dan Kimmel

========== Information below is kept for historical purposes==
Fishing Tournaments (land use) at State facilities
Date:Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:19 am
(see latest permit lake list in 2010 Michigan DNR Ramp Permit Required Lakes List)

Interested parties,

A reminder and a couple of updates.

As a reminder, last season, it was decided to move the date back to the
first work day of November for accepting applications for permits.  That
is the only change in the regulations from the previous year.  We hope
this will allow tournament directors to schedule out ahead of time for
the following year and alleviate some of the push we typically receive
in January. All fees and locations subject to permits remain the same.

There were minimal complaints this season regarding the changes.  The
biggest issue it appears we have is in the tournament directors making
contact w/ our staff.  We will continue to work on making sure our staff
is aware that we need to be prompt in our responses.

The project to allow fishing tournaments to log on and schedule their
own tournaments has been submitted for the 2008 FY.  It was combined w/ an effort from Fisheries to collect tournament fish data all from one
source.  I know that many of you have been asking to provide the data
and we are really looking forward to melding the two efforts to make it
easier for everyone.  The scheduling component will put the onus on the
tournaments directors for scheduling their events and have a calendar
that is accessible to all directors.   The details have not been flushed
out yet, but we will ensure that there are some simple business rules to
prevent any "blocking out" a particular site.  I see this application as
way to ensure a partnership w/ the tournaments to make it easier to
schedule and collect valuable data.  I anticipate this will be ready at
some point for the 2009 season (may not be by November 2008).

I apologize for the delay in this notification.  I have been away from
work and I am still catching up.  Please forward this on to anyone who I
may have missed.  Thank you for your patience and please let me know if
you have any questions.

Jason Fleming
Department Analyst
Resource Management Section
Parks and Recreation Division
Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources
TX:  (517) 241-2054
Fax: (517) 373-4625
FLEMINJA at michigan dot gov


Note from Dan: I'm not sure how possible state budget cuts may affect this plan. It has been rumored that the MDNR will be one of the heaviest hit departments for the 2008 budget cuts. We need to do something to ensure our fisheries and wildlife programs have the funds to protect our resources. More on this soon.

[djkimmel]

MDNR Land Use (tournament) Permit Information

Land Use General Information:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-30301_31154_35728---,00.html

Printable Adobe PDF tournament permit document:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/PR1138_State_Land_Use_Application_EVENT_PRINT_ONLY_1_126334_7.pdf

Fee Schedule Information (must have Adobe PDF Reader installed):
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/IC1141_State_Surface_Land_Use_Fee_ScheduleIII_126339_7.pdf

Summary
Application Fee:    waived; there is no application fee
Review Fee:     waived; review fee is coupled with monitoring fee
Monitoring Fee:   variable (may be waived if score falls into I/L/C level of use)
      $0 - $50 maximum (based on $50 per hour)
Use of Land Fee:   variable; $50 - $200

Total Fee:      

On the basis of consistency and to assist in meeting the overall demand from fishing tournaments, a standard fee has been assessed.

Tournament Use Permit fees are $25 for closed or club tournaments up to 30 vessels.  All open tournaments are a minimum of $100 weekends, $50 weekdays.  Tournaments with over 30 vessels are subject to open tournament fees. (These fees assist in covering the cost of processing and monitoring along with any additional administrative cost which may occur.)  Revenue from Motor Vehicle Permits and camping fees are not a justification for lowering the price for Fishing Tournament events.

Insurance:

Insurance is not required for Fishing Tournament events.

[djkimmel]

MDNR Land Use Permit FAQ
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-30301_31154_35728-113784--,00.html

Full MDNR Fishing Tournament Document:

Fishing Tournaments

Description:

A fishing tournament is defined as an organized competitive fishing event of limited duration which is structured and conducted according to a prearranged schedule.  Most tournaments are defined as closed or club events where members of the group hold the event at either the launch site or an area off-site for weigh-ins and prizes.   Out of approximately 1,000 State launching facilities, 70-75% of all fishing tournaments utilize approximately 40-50 access sites.

History:

The Department began issuing permits in the 1990's due to concerns over significant use of access sites and squabbling among tournament groups over scheduling conflicts and parking availability.  Prior to 1999, in most situations, local administrative units issued permits for fishing tournaments at no cost.  The current fee schedule was adopted after the 1999 season.  The number of tournaments accounted for almost ½ of all user permits for the Division and a nominal fee structure was put in place to help offset the administrative costs.  The Division brings in an approximately $9,000 – 10,000 a year in fishing tournament permits.  Fishing tournaments are now included in the new Department Policy beginning January 1st, 2006.

There has been much speculation on the validity of our process and it was determined in 2005 to take a new look at the current policy and propose any changes for 2007.  Staff members of various positions which administer fishing tournaments were pulled together for a workgroup to discuss and propose changes to the current policy.  This document represents the initial draft from this discussion.  After review by the workgroup, a revised version will be open for discussion between other Department representatives in Fisheries Division and Law Division.  A group of representative tournament directors and riparian association members met on October 2nd 2006 at Waterloo Recreation Area to discuss proposed changes

The majority of bodies of water with tournaments (67/94 or 71%) issued 10 or less permits in 2004.  This number is relatively small compared with over 120 opportunity days within a season.  Focus should be given to those locations where there is a determined need to have a schedule for purposes of control and assistance for tournaments.  The consensus of the workgroup was to eliminate the overall process of establishing permits for fishing tournaments, unless certain situations require such control by staff.

Criteria to consider when dedicating a location for requirements of fishing tournament permit.
   
History of Use:  Has there been or are there currently a significant number of tournaments taking place at this location?  Sites for permit requirement may be considered if there are more than 20 tournaments occurring in a typical year.

Size of Tournaments:  Most of the closed tournaments indicate the average number of participants at fifteen boats.  Even though there is documentation demonstrating the number participants as higher then originally approved, most tournaments are small enough to take place with few issues due to size.  There are locations where open tournaments may consist of 50 – 200 participants.  Large tournaments (especially those which are open to the general public) may warrant a decision to identify a particular site for permit requirement.

Documented cases of disease or extreme fishing pressure on a particular waterbody:  Situations may occur where certain diseases or pressures to a particular fish may require a control factor.  Largemouth Bass Virus is an example of a native virus having a significant impact. Pressure may be associated with biological issues or simply an overabundance of tournaments and difficult to qualify.  Though we do not control on water activities nor enforce fishing regulations, this may be a way to regulate tournaments at a particular site and gather data. This would require assistance from the Fisheries Division for clarification and monitoring and possibly local Conservation Officers for enforcement.

Located within an area designated for control: Monitoring and control measures may be easier to handle at sites where there is already established control presence (within State Park or Recreation Area  or Forest Campgrounds boundaries, designated User Fee access sites) at a contact booth.

Both Unit and District Supervisors must sign off on a location in order for a site to be dedicated for tournament permits.  Access sites requiring permits should be reported through local media contacts and identified on the DNR web site.

Scoring:

Facility Impact – variable; typically very low to medium (1 - 6 pts)

  •  Event size may be large and have an impact on staff and facilities.  If parking is limited for an event, and it requires additional staff for clean up, tournaments could be considered medium to high.

Resource Impact – typically very low* (1 pt)

  •  Land resource impact is low.  There have been discussions regarding the impact on the fisheries and the Department is looking at gathering further data.  *The permit is for use of the land, but the Department will continue to monitor tournament data for possible impacts.

Use of Land – variable; typically very low to low (2 or 4 pts)

  •  Some tournaments participants only use the launch for purposes of parking and do weigh-ins off site (either on-water or at another land destination).  For purposes of evaluation, the need for a permit rests at the site being used as a location to launch.  Weigh-ins at other locations does not preclude the tournament from getting a Use Permit.  Demand at permitted sites is reflected in the use of the parking area.

No. of Participants – variable; usually less than 30; some events may reach 200 boats (2 – 6 pts)

Duration – typically 1/2 day (2 pts)


Overall Score
Fishing Tournament events are scoring from 11 – 19 in points, with these scores following in I/L/C or Low intensity area.  All vehicles are subject to Motor Vehicle Permits when required.

Fees:

Application Fee:    waived; there is no application fee
Review Fee:     waived; review fee is coupled with monitoring fee
Monitoring Fee:   variable (may be waived if score falls into I/L/C level of use)
      $0 - $50 maximum (based on $50 per hour)
Use of Land Fee:   variable; $50 - $200

Total Fee:      

On the basis of consistency and to assist in meeting the overall demand from fishing tournaments, a standard fee has been assessed.

Tournament Use Permit fees are $25 for closed or club tournaments up to 30 vessels.  All open tournaments are a minimum of $100 weekends, $50 weekdays.  Tournaments with over 30 vessels are subject to open tournament fees. (These fees assist in covering the cost of processing and monitoring along with any additional administrative cost which may occur.)  Revenue from Motor Vehicle Permits and camping fees are not a justification for lowering the price for Fishing Tournament events.

Insurance:

Insurance is not required for Fishing Tournament events.

Conditions:

(See attached procedure at the end of this document)

Authorization:

Local Land Administrating Supervisor for permit approvals.  District Supervisor approval for sites to require a Use Permit.

[djkimmel]

Regulations on Permitted Tournaments:

For tournaments at sites requiring permits, some of the prior regulations have been modified to reflect changes in our procedures.  For purposes of this being a transition year, we ask that all directors submit applications (no $50 application fee) for all site requests to the appropriate State Park or Field Office (not Lansing Office).  Contact information for all Boating Access Sites can be found at www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mrbis.  A copy of the application can be found on the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-30301_31154_35728---,00.html.  Locations requiring a permit will be posted on the internet soon.  If you have any questions, you may contact Jason Fleming at (517) 241-2054 or fleminja@michigan.gov

1.	Beginning in 2007, when a group requests a tournament for a site we are no longer requiring permits for, staff will mark the name of the group and location on a calendar and consider it a "hold" on the site.  Before each month, a list of those tournaments being held will be posted at each location for the upcoming month.  Holding the site is a benefit for the groups and should not be mistaken for an approved permit.  Until there is a centralized, electronic site to reserve sites, tournament organizers should work together with our staff for to avoid overlap of tournaments.
2.	No tournaments to be held during holiday periods. Holiday periods include: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and the "busy" dates adjoining them.  (May be adjusted by Unit Supervisor if a tournament at a site is not considered adverse to the public using a site)
3.	Tournaments shall not start between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
4.	The number of registered tournament participant vehicles can not exceed 80% of the parking capacity for a particular site.  Any adjustment to this must be approved by the Unit Supervisor.
5.	No more than one tournament permitted for a site per day.  Exception:  For Boating Access Sites that meet the following criteria, multiple permits may be issued.
	a. The boating access site parking capacity exceeds 100 parking spaces.
	b. Adequate "green space" is available for each tournament.  Greenspace is defined as a location that does not interfere with normal site activity.  For closed tournaments a minimum of 20 feet by 20 feet is required.  For open tournaments a minimum of 60 feet by 60 feet is required.
6.	No Use Permits will be issued on Boating Access Sites for hours beyond the site closure time except within non day-use areas in parks and recreation areas.  (Any modification to this must be approved by District Supervisor)
7.	Permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
8.	No guaranteed parking availability.
9.	All requests for permits will be in writing.
10.	Cancelled permit dates will be open on a first come, first serve basis after any cancellation.
11.	For each calendar year, permit applications will be accepted starting the first business day in November. Mail-in and email applications received before the first business day in November will be returned. (changed from January in 2008)
12.	First business day in November procedure: All hand-delivered applications will be taken in order and held until after all mail-in applications and email applications have been filled, with the mail-in applications taking precedent over email. Then hand-delivered and email applications will be filled in the order they were received.
13.	No more than 6 permits may be issued on a particular site for a specific tournament group (may be waived by unit manager if tournament is small enough and the site has more then 100 parking spaces) up until 60 days prior to a particular date.   Any requests within 60 days of the start date shall be granted on a first come, first served basis unless there are further restrictions of the number of tournaments being held at a particular site.
14.	Upon request, approved tournaments must allow Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Biologists inspections of fish taken during the tournament for research purposes.
15.	Tournament Use Permit fees are $25 for closed tournaments.  All open tournaments are a minimum of $100 weekends, $50 weekdays. Any tournament with over 30 vessels is subject to open tournament fees.
16.	Any local restrictions beyond the standard regulations, such as number of permits granted at a site, must be posted on the bulletin board at the site and a copy provided to Division Office.
17.	Tournaments are allowed on Free Fishing Weekends and encouraged to provide opportunities for an introduction of fishing to youth groups.

[djkimmel]

See the update dated 11/10/09 at the top of the first post of this thread for the 2010 season.

[djkimmel]

I thought we had done away with the need for permits due to the creation of the mandatory bass tournament registration on the Michigan Fishing Tournament Information System, but a few in the MDNR Parks Division still think they need permits, at least on some ramps for some events.

This came up at the latest MDNR Fisheries Division Warmwater Resources Steering Committee meeting last Monday. Parks Division is creating some information on when and why they still need a 'permit.' It may be limited to events of a certain threshold size and/or events that need special services/equipment/utilities, etc. I'll pass on some information once I have it. I'll try to keep it reasonable if possible.