Michigan DNR releases draft Forest Management Plan
Every ten years the Michigan Department of Natural Resources updates the state forest management plan to “to guide and outline forest management activities.” The 2024 Draft Forest Management Plan is now available to read and provide public comment on. Public comment is due December 31, 2024. It is vital for Michigan’s hunters, trappers, and anglers…
Read MoreOTG Volunteers Needed: Mast-Producing Tree Planting at Maple River State Game Area
Looking for a way to get outside and do something good for wildlife? On Friday, October 18, 2024, MUCC’s On the Ground program will be hosting a mast-producing tree planting in partnership with the Michigan DNR at Maple River State Game Area. Volunteers are needed from 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM. During this project, volunteers…
Read MoreThe Importance of Fire in Michigan
Historical Impacts Historically, Michigan’s vast forests and grasslands have evolved to be dependent on fire over time. Certain species, including the native Jack Pine, have adapted to become fire-dependent for reproduction. Although some stakeholders may support preferences for wildlife, it is important to understand the habitats that native wildlife depend on as well. Fellow bird…
Read MoreOTG Volunteers Needed: Native Shrub and Tree Planting in the Manistee National Forest
On Saturday, October 5, 2024, MUCC’s On the Ground program will be partnering with the National Wild Turkey Federation and the US Forest Service, Baldwin/White Cloud Ranger District for a native shrub and tree planting event in the Manistee National Forest. Volunteers are needed from 9 AM – 12:30 PM. This project aims to increase…
Read MoreOlivia Triltsch Joins MUCC as New Habitat Program and Partnerships Coordinator
Hello, My name is Olivia Triltsch and I am the new Habitat Program and Partnerships Coordinator at Michigan United Conservation Clubs. I grew up in a family who thrived outdoors which sprouted my own interests in natural resources. As a kid, I was quickly integrated into the hunting and fishing culture alongside my competitive older…
Read MoreMUCC & MTPCA File Briefs in Lawsuit Against the NRC
On September 6, Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) and the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association (MTPCA) filed legal briefs in their lawsuits against the Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC). MUCC’s brief, which can be read HERE, argues that the NRC illegally closed Michigan’s coyote season for a quarter of the year in March of…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Improving Wildlife Habitat Across the Upper Peninsula
This past week, MUCC’s On the Ground program was busy improving wildlife habitat in the Upper Peninsula! We traveled to Chippewa County and Luce County in the eastern UP to complete two habitat projects back-to-back. The weather was beautiful, and volunteers were excited to be outside and get their hands dirty. In a single week,…
Read MoreSeptember NRC Meeting Recap
All orders up for action at the Thursday 9/12 Natural Resources Commission meeting passed unanimously. Fisheries Order 200.25 Trout and Salmon regulations. This order clarifies a few boundaries, and amends steelhead size limits for a number of streams. This change is to make the steelhead regulations less complex but follow the spirit of the commissions…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Fall Rendezvous in the Pigeon River Country State Forest
On Saturday, September 7, 2024, MUCC’s On the Ground program joined the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for their Annual Fall Rendezvous in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the Pigeon River Country State Forest. This forest, known as the “Big Wild”, is home to one of largest free-roaming elk herds east…
Read MoreSeptember 2024 NRC Preview
The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) meets this Thursday, September 12, at 9 a.m. The meeting will be held at Lansing Community College West Campus. Up for action at the meeting will be a series of fisheries orders. A breakdown of these orders can be found in our August recap. While most of the orders represent…
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