LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Three Michigan lawmakers are calling for mass firings at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) after it agreed to clear 420 acres of forest to make way for solar farms.

Where is the land?

State Reps. Ken Borton (R-Gaylord) and Mike Hoadley (R-Au Gres) along with State Sen. Michele Hoitenga (R-Manton) made the announcement after learning of the plans for the land in Otsego County near Gaylord. They argued this move contradicts the job in which the DNR is tasked: protecting Michigan’s ecosystems.

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“The DNR is completely rotten to its core,” said Borton. “This deforestation will destroy habitats and effectively kill wildlife.” Borton continued, “The DNR is choosing to kill wildlife so they can build solar panels.”

What is the DNR’s duty?

According to the Michigan DNR’s mission statement, it is “committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations.” Given this, Hoitenga questioned whether the DNR has the authority to lease public land for private use. “The people who made this absurd decision signed up for a job to protect our natural resources,” she said. “Their department is supposed to stand up for outdoor enthusiasts; instead, they sold us out,” said Hoitenga, R-Manton.

She also responded to a flurry of inquires on social media regarding how to stop this move, which she said she’s looking into. “I’ve seen proposals to install a massive number of solar panels across the state,” Hoitenga said. “It is anything but Green Energy.”

Michigan News Source reached out to the Michigan DNR for comment but did not receive a response by press time.

The recent history of “clean energy” in Michigan.

Michigan’s Democratic majority, which lost power on Jan. 1, passed bills mandating 100% clean energy statewide by 2024. Those bills gave the Michigan Public Service Commission, a three-member panel of unelected bureaucrats, the authority to approve “green” energy projects. In addition, this commission has the authority to overstep local governments who do not want wind turbines or solar panels in their communities.

Rep. Hoadley called it “government overreach.” “It was clear that Democrat-backed laws enacted during the most recent term would strip local control and lessen local input when it came to these decisions,” he said. “What good is so-called green energy when we’re cutting down hundreds of acres of trees to put in the infrastructure that will support it?”