Natural resources: wetlands; replacement or relocation of wetlands within a development project; allow. Amends sec. 30311d of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.30311d).
Key claim: HB5501 would amend Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow wetlands to be replaced or relocated within a development project.
Abstract
(HB5501 · 103rd Legislature) Natural resources: wetlands; replacement or relocation of wetlands within a development project; allow. Amends sec. 30311d of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.30311d). Latest action (2026-06-10): Referred To Committee On Natural Resources And Agriculture
Why this matters
Allowing wetlands to be replaced or relocated within the footprint of a development project would shift Michigan’s mitigation practice toward greater on-site flexibility, affecting how developers plan projects and how EGLE evaluates ecological trade-offs. Combined with parallel amendments to sec. 30305 (permits), sec. 30307 (application revisions), and sec. 30321 (delineation), it signals a coordinated legislative rework of Part 303 that could meaningfully change the balance between development and wetlands protection in the state.