DNR Updates
2023 Pheasant Release Season Begins October 20
The 2023 pheasant release season begins October 20 across Michigan’s state game areas (SGA). After a limited 2022 release season due to poor timing of legislative appropriations the 2023 season is looking much more robust. There are four new release sites and triple the number of birds put on the ground compared to 2022. MUCC…
Read MoreGov. Whitmer announces new DNR Director
This morning, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the appointment of former lottery commissioner Scott Bowen as the new director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Bowen will fill a vacancy left by former director Dan Eichinger when he moved to the Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy. Shannon Lott, who had been acting director,…
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…
Read More‘Evolving military training methods’ cited for possible 162,000-acre lease expansion on state lands
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced an extension of the public comment deadline surrounding the 162,000-acre Camp Grayling lease expansion on Michigan public lands. A public meeting will be held tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Kirtland Community College (4800 W. 4 Mile Road, Grayling). Members of the public are welcome to attend and…
Read MoreJune NRC Recap
Commissioners instituted mandatory deer harvest reporting at their June Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. Wildlife Conservation Order #4 of 2022, which passed unanimously, sets up mandatory deer harvest reporting beginning with the 2022 whitetail deer season. The order is meant to improve the data quality and speed at which deer harvest reports can be produced,…
Read MoreCWD Charrette Team Needs Public Input
Michigan State University Researchers, stakeholder organizations and the Michigan DNR are looking for public input on the creation of a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) outreach and education plan. The results of nearly 18 months of work with a pandemic interruption, we are seeking interested people to join in the planning process. A charrette is a…
Read MoreMUCC letter to Gov. Whitmer underscores bobcat hunting, trapping expansions
This letter was sent to Governor Gretchen Whitmer in response to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission unanimously approving Wildlife Conservation Order Amendment 1 of 2022. Dear Governor Whitmer, On March 10, 2022, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission unanimously voted to expand bobcat hunting and trapping opportunities in Michigan. The order was drafted and supported by…
Read MoreKirtland’s Warbler to be Featured on 2022 Wildlife Habitat License Plate
According to a December 6, 2021, press release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Kirtland’s warbler will be the next wildlife species celebrated on the wildlife habitat license plate offered by the State of Michigan. Read the full press release HERE. Starting in January of 2022, those interested can purchase an updated…
Read MorePublic Invited to Comment on Recent State Land Review Recommendations
In phase three of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land review process, parcels of state-managed public land in 10 counties have been reviewed by staff and will be sold, kept, or exchanged pending DNR director approval. The counties involved in this review include Alcona, Calhoun, Emmet, Houghton, Keweenaw, Mackinac, Macomb, Mason, Oceana, and…
Read MoreFunding Available for Natural Resource Restoration in the Saginaw Bay Watershed
This blog is designed to highlight some of the key information provided in a Michigan DNR press release regarding restoration funding and projects in the Saginaw Bay watershed from November 4, 2021. To read the entire press release and learn more about the funding available for restoration efforts in the Saginaw Bay watershed, please click…
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