Posts by Justin Tomei
April 2024 NRC Recap
Commissioners adopted elk regulations and waterfowl season dates and regulations at the April Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. There were no substantial changes to elk or waterfowl hunting regulations in Michigan, and both season structures stayed in line with the 2023 structure. The commissioners had one order up for information. Wildlife Conservation Order #4…
Read MoreMUCC supported wake boat legislation introduced
MUCC-supported legislation regulating the use of wake boats was introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives. House Bill 5532, sponsored by Rep. Julie Rogers (D-Kalamazoo), sets a basic framework of where large wake-producing boats can operate without damaging lake ecology or lake bottom structure. The legislation would require operating distances of at least 500 feet…
Read MoreConservation organization files suit against resources commission
On March 28, the nation’s largest statewide conservation organization filed suit against the Natural Resources Commission (NRC), challenging the three-month closure of the coyote hunting season. At the March NRC, the commission, in a 4-2 vote, voted to close the coyote hunting season from April 16 through July 14 through the adoption of Wildlife Conservation…
Read MoreMUCC Supported Commercial Fishing Legislation Introduced in Michigan House
On March 6, Rep. Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw) introduced a stakeholder-backed modernization of Michigan’s commercial fishing statute. House Bill 5553, written over the past several months in partnership with MUCC, would modernize archaic regulations in the state’s commercial fishing statute, and keep gamefish out of commercial nets. Michigan’s commercial fishing statute is decades old and an…
Read MoreMarch NRC Preview
Commissioners will likely vote on whether to close a portion of the current year-round coyote hunting season at this month’s Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. The March meeting is Thursday at Lansing Community College Downtown Campus, located in the Gannon Building at 600 N. Grand Ave Lansing, MI. Wildlife Conservation Order #1 of 2024, which…
Read MoreRepresentative Seeks Funding for Sportsmen Against Hunger
Yesterday, Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan) announced that he is seeking appropriations to support Sportsmen Against Hunger in the fiscal year 2025 budget. Cavitt said in a press release that Sportsmen Against Hunger (SAH) is an important deer management tool and that farmers are harvesting deer year-round. “People harvest deer year-round. Whether it’s farmers with nuisance…
Read MoreFebruary NRC Preview
Sound scientific management could be tested at the Natural Resources Commission (NRC), as information presented at the February meeting will be up for action in March. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 8 at 9:30 a.m. at Lansing Community College West Campus, 5708 Cornerstone Drive. Wildlife Conservation Order #1 of 2024 sets furbearer regulations…
Read MoreJanuary NRC Recap
The Natural Resources Commission’s first meeting of 2024 wrapped up just before lunch today, with no commissioner items for information or action. This was the first commission meeting for new commissioner Robin Michigiizhigookwe Clark, who was appointed hours after the December NRC meeting concluded. More on her appointment can be found in MUCC’s December NRC recap HERE. …
Read MoreJanuary NRC Preview
The Natural Resources Commission returns to work on January 11 at 9 a.m. for the year’s first meeting with no action items on the agenda. This is the first commission meeting for new commissioner Robin Michigiizhigookwe Clark, who was appointed hours after the December NRC meeting concluded. More on her appointment can be found in…
Read MoreDecember NRC Recap, New Commissioners Appointed
Commissioners did not have any action items at the December Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. Michigan DNR Deer & Elk Specialist Chad Stewart was the most anticipated presentation, presenting to commissioners on the newly-announced Deer Management Initiative (DMI) and an update on reported deer harvest during the 2023 deer season. The DMI is a new…
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