The Value of Mast-Producing Trees
The OTG program is no stranger to planting trees. If you have joined us for one of our tree planting projects, you may have heard the term “mast-producing trees”. Mast-producing trees are favored for some projects, bringing up the questions: What are masting trees, and what are the benefits? What is Mast-Producing Vegetation Mast-producing plants…
Read MoreMichigan Legislature Approves Supplemental Including $100,000 for Pheasant Release Program
On Wednesday, the legislature approved a small but important appropriation for Michigan pheasant hunters. Legislators reached a deal on a $1 billion supplemental appropriation bill, SB 844, which includes $100,000 of pheasant license monies for fiscal year 2022 for the Michigan pheasant release program. This is in addition to the already approved fiscal year 2023…
Read MoreSenate passes HB 6354, MUCC requests veto
Mandatory deer reporting will likely remain a misdemeanor following both chambers’ political stunts On Wednesday, the Michigan Senate followed the House’s lead and chose to score cheap political points and forgo good policy, the best interests of Michigan’s hunters and Michigan’s natural resources. The Senate passed, on a bipartisan 26-10 vote, an amended version (H-5)…
Read MoreOn the Ground: A Year in Review
During the 2021-2022 fiscal year, On the Ground volunteers showed up to improve wildlife habitat and recreational access on Michigan’s public lands. Through 22 OTG projects, 546 volunteers spent more than 1,515 hours improving 255 acres of wildlife habitat throughout the state! In 2022, grade schools participated in 6 habitat improvement projects, making students a…
Read MoreOctober NRC Preview: Turkeys and Wolves Highlight a UP NRC Meeting
The October Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting will be include turkey regulations and a timeline on the wolf management plan. The meeting will be held at Northern Michigan University, located at NC Peninsula II, 1401 Presque Isle Avenue Marquette on October 13, 2022 at 9 a.m. Coffee with commissioners will precede committee meetings at 8…
Read MoreOctober Volunteer Events
Countless amazing volunteers have joined the OTG program to improve habitat across Michigan allowing the On the Ground Program to celebrate many successful events of the fiscal year. With the help of over 500 volunteers, 22 projects affecting recreation, habitat availability, and wildlife health improved Michigan’s outdoor areas. Even though the fiscal year is complete,…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Students from Reese High School Improve Habitat In and Around the Cass River
On Wednesday, September 21, 2022, juniors and seniors from Reese High School joined MUCC’s On the Ground (OTG) program in cleaning-up public access sites along the Cass River in Vassar Township. Conservation students picked-up multiple bags of litter and removed large items of trash from the Cass River and surrounding access sites including tires, vehicle…
Read MoreLegislature tries to score political points days before deer season, subverts Proposal G and the NRC
Yesterday, the Michigan House of Representatives on a largely party line vote chose to play politics with Michigan’s natural resources. HB 6354, which would have decriminalized failure to report a deer harvest by reducing penalties from a misdemeanor and possible jail time to a civil infraction, was unanimously approved as introduced by the House Government…
Read MoreShouting match between DNR director, coalition a tipping point in consent decree negotiations
A coalition of angling and conservation groups filed a motion to reconsider in federal court on September 16. The Coalition to Protect Michigan Resources (CPMR) has its roots in a 1979 court ruling that affirmed fishing rights under an 1836 Treaty. In 1984, the coalition was granted amicus status as the first agreement on fishing…
Read MoreVolunteers of the Gratiot-Saginaw Bridge Repair Event
Thanks to the wonderful volunteers at the September 17th Gratiot-Saginaw OTG event, the access bridge on the property is fixed. On Saturday morning, four volunteers took on the challenge of rebuilding the outdated access bridge. Armed with crowbars and power tools the crew removed and replaced the old wood planks. In total, the project lasted…
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