DNR Updates
Michigan House and Senate Appropriation Subcommittees Propose DNR Budget
Budgets for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have been proposed by the Michigan House (HB 5512) and Senate (SB 759) Appropriations Subcommittees for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Funding for the Sportsmen Against Hunger (SAH) program is a high priority for Michigan United Conservation Clubs, but was not in the Governor’s proposed budget. This…
Read MoreApril NRC Preview
Deer Management Initiative (DMI) updates are scheduled at the upcoming April Natural Resources Commission (NRC) Meeting. The meeting, on Thursday, April 11, will be held in the Gannon Building at the Lansing Community College downtown campus, located at 600 N. Grand Ave Lansing, MI, and is set to start at 9:00 a.m. The Fisheries Committee’s…
Read MoreRecreation Passport Opt-Out Proposal Highlighted in Budget Considerations
The recreation passport opt-out proposal was the focus of the budget considerations for the state’s natural resources department. Throughout the last two weeks, Scott Bowen, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), presented the department’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2024-25 to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development and Natural…
Read More2023 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…
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