Posts by Justin Tomei
September NRC Preview
Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) will be presenting to the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) Policy and Governance Committee at the September NRC meeting. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 14 at Lansing Community College West Campus. MUCC will be presenting policy resolutions passed at the March Annual Convention, and provide…
Read MoreAugust 2023 NRC Recap
With no new orders for action in front of the Natural Resources Commission (NRC), work focused on a group of proposed warm water regulation changes and introducing new conservation partners. Lisa Walker, the new executive director of Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger, was in person and introduced herself to the commission prior to the meeting. She…
Read MoreAugust NRC Preview
Proposed fisheries orders take the spotlight at the August 10 Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. The meeting begins with coffee with commissioners at 9 a.m. at the Grand Valley State University Cook-Devos Center for Health Sciences located at 333 Michigan St. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503. There are five proposed fisheries orders up for information.…
Read MoreJuly NRC Recap
It was a short Natural Resources Commission Meeting with no items for information or action in front of commissioners. Attendees learned what to expect for the rest of 2023 at commission meetings. NRC Chair Tom Baird laid out an outline for the commission over the next few months and what topics to expect on the…
Read MoreJuly NRC Preview
The July Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting has no orders for commissioner action. The meeting at Lansing Community College West Campus is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 13. Acting Department of Natural Resources Director Shannon Lott has three orders up for action: Land Use Order of the Director #2 of 2023…
Read MoreLegislature Passes SB 52, Failure to Report Deer Harvest Decriminalized
The Michigan House passed the decriminalization of failure to report a deer harvest on a 61-47 vote at the end of June, and the bill was signed on July 11 by Governor Whitmer. Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) worked with Sen. Cherry and his office toward the passage of the bill. MUCC and other stakeholders…
Read MoreMichigan Legislature Passes Omnibus Budget, Includes $64 million for Brandon Road Lock and Dam
Legislators passed a multi-department omnibus budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year Wednesday night. The package, House Bill 4437, heads to Gov. Whitmer for her signature. A condensed analysis of the entire budget can be found HERE. Within the omnibus is the department budget for each segment of state government. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources…
Read MoreJune 2023 NRC Recap
The commission set deer regulations for the 2023-2025 seasons at the June NRC meeting with public comment and amendments taking up much of the meeting. At the May Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting, Wildlife Conservation Order #7 of 2023 was up for information. The order regulates white-tailed deer hunting in Michigan and has been an…
Read MoreJune NRC Preview
Deer regulations dominate the agenda at the June Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting in Roscommon later this week. The June 8 meeting is at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center at 104 Conservation Drive in Roscommon. Coffee with commissioners begins at 8 a.m., the fisheries committee at 9 a.m. and the whole committee at 9:30…
Read MoreDNR Seeking Public Input on Forest Management Plans
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) seeks public input on its 2025 Forest Management Plans. According to the DNR these plans are necessary “to keep Michigan’s nearly 4 million acres of state forest healthy and thriving.” A number of open houses are planned across the state. These open houses serve as informal meetings to…
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