Posts by Ian FitzGerald
NRC to Consider Bear Hunting Rules, Falconry Regulations
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) will vote on 2021 bear hunting regulations and quotas when it meets Thursday. These proposed rules and regulations are similar to those in place in the 2020 seasons, with a few key changes, including a possible elimination of rules allowing for the placement of bear bait barrels on public…
Read MoreConsent Decree: Entry and Effort
Submitted by the Coalition to Protect Michigan Resources (CPMR). MUCC is a founding member of CPMR. Click here to see the latest Michigan Out-of-Doors segment on the consent decree. This is the third in the series of updates that we will be posting to let those interested in the sport and commercial fisheries of the…
Read MoreRemoving the cap on solar in Michigan
A bill introduced in the Michigan Legislature earlier this year aims to remove the distributed generation cap in the state. House Bill 4236, sponsored by Rep. Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock), would remove the cap and allow more individuals to install solar on their home and at their properties. Michigan United Conservation Clubs supports HB 4236. Since…
Read MoreGreat Lakes Consent Decree: A shared resource, allocation
This is the second in the series of updates that we will be posting to let those interested in the sport and commercial fisheries of the Great Lakes know what is happening in the negotiation of a new agreement between the State, the Federal government and the five Michigan tribes holding a Treaty right to…
Read MoreGreat Lakes Consent Decree: Implications, background, history
This is the first in a series of updates to let those interested in the sport and commercial fisheries of the Great Lakes know what is happening in the negotiation of a new agreement between the State of Michigan, the federal government and the five Michigan tribes holding a treaty right to fish within the…
Read MoreTests needed for Bovine TB Surveillance Program
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) work in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to establish surveillance quotas in order to detect changes in the occurrence of bovine TB in free-ranging white-tailed deer. The seven counties surrounding MDARD’s Modified Accredited Zone (MAZ) have…
Read MoreAction Alert: Call your senator urging them to support commercial fishing legislation
Current statutes and administrative rules regarding the licensing and regulation of commercial fishers in Michigan are decades old and do not sufficiently protect game fish from commercial impacts. Further, MDNR conservation officers are unable to adequately protect the fisheries from exploitation and illegal activity due to the outdated statute. House Bills 4567, 68 and 69…
Read MoreGov. signs appropriations bill putting carp money back on the table
Gov. Whitmer signed Senate Bill 745 yesterday, which reappropriated the $8 million earmarked for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project meant to keep invasive Asian carp from the Great Lakes. In March 2020 amid COVID-19 budget constraints, Gov. Whitmer line-item vetoed the $8 million that was earmarked as Michigan’s contribution for the preconstruction, engineering…
Read MoreMUCC and The Average Conservationist Partner to Give Back to Conservation
Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) and The Average Conservationist are excited to announce a collaboration benefiting conservation. A t-shirt collaboration between the organizations will raise funds for direct conservation work in Michigan. The design features the words Michigan United Conservation Clubs underneath a forest and white-tailed deer silhouette. To buy one of these exclusive shirts,…
Read MoreNRC Discusses Deer Regulations, Small Game Rules at May Meeting
Written by Charlie Booher, MUCC State Conservation Policy Fellow The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) weighed hunter orange requirements, doe tags and muzzleloader season changes ahead of expected action in June. The NRC met virtually on Thursday, May 14 to consider a full agenda. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) hosted the meeting, and a…
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