State Rep. Ken Borton, R-Gaylord, today slammed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for authorizing and supporting the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ attempts to wage legal and financial warfare against anyone with a backyard birdfeeder. Borton, who chairs the House budget committee responsible for the DNR, fought hard to include birdfeeder protection language in the budget through bipartisan negotiations. By deeming this language unenforceable, the governor is ordering her administration to ignore this language and the bipartisan legislative process by which it was approved.

“The governor has given her stamp of approval to the corrupt DNR and all their blatant abuses of power. She has essentially criminalized the backyard birdfeeder,” said Borton, R-Gaylord. “The governor has given her full support to any conservation officer who fines a little old lady for simply enjoying sitting on her back porch and watching the birds. While the entire nation deals with the scourge of gang violence and drug trafficking, our governor has decided to crack down on birdfeeders. What’s next?  Will she order the DNR to conduct targeted strikes on Walmart carts filled with corn and bird seed?”

Along with the attack on bird feeders, the governor also decided to allow the DNR to continue referring to public land as DNR property, pushing for a mandatory recreation passport on every vehicle, and waging legal warfare against pig farmers.

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