Posts by Ian FitzGerald
NRC Action Postponed Until April
Written by Charlie Booher, MUCC Policy Intern The Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) will have a brief meeting Thursday, but will not be voting or hearing public comments. This decision comes in the midst of an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in Michigan, leading the state and federal governments to make a number of new…
Read MoreNRC to Rule on Furbearers, Electronic Trap Monitors at March Meeting
Written by Charlie Booher, MUCC Policy Intern The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) is slated to take action on furbearer and electronic trap monitoring regulations, as well as discuss elk and migratory bird seasons. The meeting will take place on March 19, at the Lansing Community College Gannon Building in the Michigan Room (422 North Washington…
Read MoreUSFWS Seeking Public Comment on Cormorant Control
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is seeking input from the public on management efforts for cormorants. The proposed rule would establish a permit for state wildlife agencies to authorize management techniques that were previously prohibited. States would have the delegated authority to determine whether, when, where and for what purposes to control cormorants…
Read MoreMichigan Natural Resources Commission Votes on U.P. Brook Trout Limits; Welcomes New Commissioner
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) had a fairly short agenda Thursday but did make a significant decision regarding a contentious U.P. brook trout limit after receiving a number of updates. Meetings began with a convening of the NRC Wildlife and Fisheries Policy Committee. Fisheries Division Chief Jim Dexter updated commissioners on a recent land…
Read MoreNatural Resources Commission Meets January 9th
The Natural Resources Commission will meet on Thursday, Jan. 9th at the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (4125 Beaumont Road Lansing, MI 48910). If you are unable to attend in person, check out the MUCC Facebook page for live streaming. A full agenda for the day can be found here. Thursday’s meetings will start…
Read MoreMichigan Can Do More to Prevent Animal Waste from Polluting Water
The National Wildlife Federation and Michigan United Conservation Clubs are urging the state of Michigan, in comments filed today, to strengthen protections for clean water to prevent animal waste from largescale livestock operations from fouling rivers, lakes, streams and the Great Lakes. Animal waste that runs off farm fields and into local waters can fuel toxic…
Read MoreDecember NRC: Deer license sales didn’t decline more than normal in 2019
Deer license sales didn’t drop more than the normal, annual decline in 2019 despite a ban on baiting during the 2019 hunting season in the Lower Peninsula. Meetings began with the NRC Policy Committee on Wildlife and Fisheries at 10:30 a.m. During this meeting, the commissioners were given division updates by the chiefs of the…
Read MoreA Bottle Bill for the 21st Century: Recycling Reform Introduced
On Dec. 11, Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo) and Senator Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo County) introduced HB 5306 and SB 701, respectively, a pair of bills to modernize Michigan’s bottle deposit law. MUCC played a fundamental role in the development and passage of the original bottle return bills in 1976. However, this legislation is now in need…
Read MoreOut for Trout: December NRC Takes Up Fisheries Regulations & Hunting on State Recreation Areas
Written by Charlie Booher, MUCC Policy Intern The Natural Resources Commission will meet on Thursday, Dec.12 at the Pepsi Stadium Club of Fifth Third Ballpark (4500 West River Road, NE Comstock Park, MI 49321). If you are unable to attend in person, check out the MUCC Facebook page for live streaming! A full agenda for…
Read MoreAn Idea Turned Law – The MUCC Grassroots Policy Process
Written by Ian FitzGerald, MUCC Policy Assistant It is with great pride and joy that I notify you of a 2016 MUCC resolution that was passed into law at the November Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. The rule amended the spring turkey hunting regulations to allow for a Saturday opener on the second to last…
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