LANSING, Mich. - Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Don Koivisto today announced that the department's livestock and plant inspection station located at the Mackinac Bridge will continue to be operational on the six state's temporary layoff days scheduled throughout the summer.  All other MDA offices will be closed. The furlough days are scheduled for June 19, July 6, July 24, August 7, August 21, and September 4.

Executive Order 2009-22, issued by the governor and approved by the House and Senate appropriations committees in May, mandates the unpaid furlough days to help eliminate the state's current budget deficit.

"MDA wants to assure Michigan's trading partners and stakeholders that movements of cattle and bison across the Mackinac Bridge will continue to be monitored even on furlough days.  This inspection station is an essential component for Michigan maintaining federal split-state status," said Koivisto.  "Additionally, we will be enforcing the state's Emerald Ash Borer quarantine as preventing the artificial spread of EAB in the Upper Peninsula continues to be vital to safeguarding ash as a genus in Michigan's forest landscape."
 
All livestock haulers, including horse haulers, must stop at the livestock inspection station on the north side of the bridge.  Cattle, cervid or bison haulers must provide accurate paperwork that includes movement certificates - showing proof of bovine Tuberculosis (TB) testing.
 
MDA has contracted 40 hours per week with local law enforcement at the Mackinac Bridge.  Law enforcement will track down and ticket livestock haulers who do not pull into the inspection station. 
 
Michiganresidents and visitors are urged to learn about Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and adhere to the state's quarantine banning the transport of ash trees, ash materials, and all hardwood firewood from quarantined areas.  Quarantine violators face fines/penalties ranging from $1,000 up to $250,000 and face up to five years in jail if found guilty of transporting hardwood firewood out of the quarantine zones or Lower Peninsula into the Upper Peninsula or surrounding states.
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