Posts by Nick Green
March NRC: Commission Votes to End Year-round Coyote Hunting
Commissioners voted to close Michigan’s coyote season from April 15 to July 15 at March’s Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. Commissioners voted on Wildlife Conservation Order #1 of 2024, and based their decision on perceived social pressures, shirking their responsibility and legal charge to follow sound scientific management. MUCC Chief Executive Officer Amy Trotter said…
Read MoreConservation organization votes to support year-round coyote hunting, establish moose season at annual convention
Michigan hunters, anglers and trappers converged on Sault Ste. Marie last weekend to pass their policy agenda for years ahead. More than a dozen grassroots policy positions were passed as part of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) Annual Convention, including affirmation of support for year-round coyote hunting and establishing a moose hunting season. Convention…
Read MoreFree Fishing Weekend!
Dust off your poles; Michigan’s Free Fishing Weekend begins this Saturday, February 17. Twice a year, all fishing license fees are waived for two days. Fish the open waters of the Great Lakes or enjoy a few of Michigan’s tens of thousands of inland lakes, rivers and streams. While all fishing regulations still apply, any…
Read MoreFebruary NRC: Year-round Coyote Hunting in the Crosshairs
A proposal to close coyote season from mid-April through mid-July was debated heavily at the February Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. The proposal was borne from the Furtaker User Group in late 2023, where a majority of stakeholder groups present voted in favor. MUCC was one of only two organizations to oppose this change. The…
Read MoreBiden will decide funding fate for archery, hunters’ safety programs in schools
In early August, conservation and shooting sports organizations learned of an improper interpretation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) that prevented schools from receiving federal funding if they have archery or hunter safety programs. Knowing how important these programs are to childhood maturation and safety, conservation nonprofits across the country immediately called for a…
Read MoreConservationists highlight need for better habitat, wildlife protections from changing climate
Michigan United Conservation Clubs, as part of the Changing Seasons workgroup, presented an updated briefing book to legislators highlighting critical actions to be taken to protect wildlife and habitat from a changing climate on Tuesday. View the updated briefing book here. Conservation leaders, emphasizing the importance of informed legislative action, presented their findings to the…
Read MoreGreat Lakes decree put in place despite stakeholders’ and anglers’ objections
A federal judge accepted a proposed consent decree controlling five sovereign Michigan Tribes, the federal government and the state, overruling evidence that expanded gillnetting would negatively impact the Great Lakes. In handing down his order, Judge Paul Maloney rejected the Coalition to Protect Michigan Resource’s claim that biological harm is likely to happen to the resource and…
Read MoreYouth camp charity shoot raises more than $30k to support the next generation of conservationists
Michigan United Conservation Clubs held its annual Michigan Out-of-Doors Youth Camp Charity Shoot Friday, bringing together more than 160 shooters from across the state to support conservation and tomorrow’s outdoor leaders. Each year, the camp helps hundreds of Michigan youth learn about the benefits of conservation and lets them explore the world around them through…
Read MoreBiden administration withholding funding for schools with hunter safety education, archery programs
There are still more questions than answers right now as the conservation community grapples with the Biden administration’s withholding of funding to public schools over school archery and hunter safety programs. Late last week, it came to light that the administration was withholding Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) funds from schools based on an…
Read MoreSenate passes commercial guiding legislation
The Michigan Senate, on a bipartisan vote, passed stakeholder-led commercial guiding legislation Thursday morning. Commercial guiding in Michigan is woefully unregulated – nothing currently exists in statute to prevent serial poachers from posing as legitimate guides. Senate Bills 103, 104, SB 105 aim to address that, though still need to pass through a House committee…
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