To: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and the Michigan State Legislature

Michigan’s outdoors are far more than recreation — they are our heritage, our sustenance, and our source of quality of life. For countless families across Michigan, hunting and fishing are not just pastimes but essential means by which we feed our households, pass traditions to our children, and build memories together.

Yet the rising costs of hunting and fishing licenses are increasingly placing that access out of reach. At the same time, the data show troubling trends: in 2009 an estimated ≈ 686,392 people went out to hunt in Michigan. In more recent years, the number of active hunters has fallen to below 600,000 and remains significantly lower than early-2000s levels. 

This decline matters. Fewer participants means fewer voices investing in our outdoor heritage, fewer families able to make use of our lands and waters, and ultimately fewer resources flowing into conservation unless the barrier to entry is addressed.

By charging high fees, we’re not just increasing revenue — we’re pushing working families away from the land and waters they’ve depended on for generations.

We, the undersigned, call on the Michigan DNR and our elected leaders to:

1. Lower the cost of resident hunting and fishing licenses.

2. Offer discounted licenses for families, veterans, and low‐income households.

3. Ensure that access to Michigan’s outdoor traditions is affordable, not a luxury.

Our right to hunt, to fish, to teach our children these skills, and to provide for our families should not be squeezed out by rising fees. By making licenses more affordable, we can halt and reverse the decline in participation, support our outdoor heritage, help grow the community of families engaged in these traditions, and strengthen conservation through broader involvement.

✍️ Sign this petition to tell the Michigan DNR and our lawmakers that Michigan families deserve affordable access to the land and water that sustain us.