Senator Jon Bumstead was honored in person after waiting more than two years because of the COVID shutdown statewide, for being selected the 2020 Howard A. Tanner Award winner. His outstanding contributions to Michigan’s anadromous fish sport fishery is a result of his leadership and support for fishery improvements statewide over the last decade. The $30 million supplemental budget to underwrite 40-year overdue upgrades to the state’s hatchery system, upgrades to equipment and facilities and the replacement of the Lake Michigan Research vessel, RV Steelhead is just one of these accomplishments. These improvements will guarantee the MDNR’s ability to rear and stock healthy fish for decades. His leadership as Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy made this once in a lifetime opportunity happen. It will provide quality and healthy fish populations throughout the state.
Sen. Bumstead’s long and staunch support for conservation, outdoor recreation and the local economies of our lakeshore communities goes back to his six years in the House and serving as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Environment. It was there that he helped pass needed funding to preserve staffing and programs of the MDNR by streamlining the licensing system, reducing the required number of licenses and allowing sportsmen and women to pay a little more for the opportunity to preserve our hunting and fishing heritage. He also guided through a $12 million-dollar supplemental appropriations bill to make improvements to the Thompson State Fish Hatchery that resulted in the DNR being able to now plant over 250,000 more steelhead trout annually across the state of Michigan.
MSSFA values results and Sen. Bumstead has shown he can deliver for the millions of men and women of the state who value our outdoors and its hunting and fishing heritage! It is why he has earned the Dr. Howard A. Tanner Award for his contributions to the anadromous sport fish fishery.