Consumers Energy's Hunting Policy Protects Safety of Company Workers and Neighbors

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Nov 03, 2014, 06:00 ET

JACKSON, Mich., Nov. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy reminds hunters deciding where to try to tag a whitetail during Michigan's upcoming firearm deer season that its land is off limits.

"Consumers Energy property is private land, not public property," said Mike Williams, Consumers Energy's director of corporate security. "We appreciate the vast majority of hunters who follow the law and do not trespass, and we ask everyone to help keep this a safe hunting season in Michigan."

The hunting ban protects the safety of neighbors, company workers and others. It also addresses the concerns of neighboring landowners that irresponsible hunters will use Consumers Energy property to trespass.

Anyone observing hunting or gunshot vandalism on company land is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency or Consumers Energy's corporate security office at 1-800-760-3295. Consumers Energy offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who damage company equipment or property.

Consumers Energy is one of the largest private landowners in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The company owns more than 12,000 miles of electric and natural gas rights-of-way, and maintains easement rights on another 86,000 miles of rights-of-way.

Special provisions apply to Consumers Energy-owned lands bordering its AuSable, Manistee and Muskegon river hydroelectric plant reservoirs, where hunting is allowed. However, constructing blinds, target shooting, baiting, burning and fire pits are strictly prohibited on all Consumers Energy lands. The cost of removing blinds from company property is charged to the blinds' owners.

Dirt bikes, ATVs and other off-road vehicles may not be operated on any company property.

A brochure, "A Guide to Consumers Energy Land: To Our Michigan Neighbors," available from the company's website, provides information for landowners, developers and others on use of Consumers Energy property.

Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.5 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

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BROCHURE: Link to "A Guide to Consumers Energy Land: To Our Michigan Neighbors" here: http://www.consumersenergy.com/uploadedFiles/CEWEB/SHARED/Guide-to-Consumers-Land.pdf

For more information about Consumers Energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com, join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ConsumersEnergyMichigan and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/ConsumersEnergy.

SOURCE Consumers Energy