Policy
MUCC 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 MoreMarch NRC: Bobcat harvest opportunities expand in Michigan
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) passed regulations expanding bobcat hunting and trapping zones Thursday. Wildlife Conservation Order 1 of 2022 expands hunting seasons in the Northern Lower Peninsula to include two full weekends. The order shifts some geographic boundaries for units in the Northern Lower Peninsula and combines some units to create new, larger…
Read MoreJudge Orders Federal Protections for Wolves be Restored
On Thursday, February 10th, U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey S. White put gray wolves back on the Endangered Species List. The federal wolf ruling halts scientific wolf management and overturns the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2020 rule (85 Fed. Reg. 69,778 Nov. 3 2020) removing the wolves throughout the lower 48 states from…
Read MoreRegulation of Commercial Guiding Industry Long Overdue in Michigan
Please click here to view MUCC’s one-pager on commercial guiding. Sometimes you look at something and it seems so obvious. How did nobody think of this before? Peanut butter and jelly, dipping grilled cheese in chicken noodle soup, creating a common sense, enforceable set of requirements for commercial guides to protect the safety of both…
Read MoreResolution calling for wolf hunt passes House committee, highlights partisanship
Emotional rhetoric and misinformation from anti-hunters didn’t deter committee members from voting through a resolution Thursday calling for a 2022 wolf hunting and trapping season in Michigan. Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) Executive Director Amy Trotter was invited by House Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Committee Chair Gary Howell (R-North Branch) to give a short…
Read MoreRestoring America’s Wildlife Act passes out of House committee
On Wednesday, the House Natural Resources Committee moved a key piece of bipartisan conservation legislation to the floor. The Restoring America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA), sponsored by Michigan’s-own Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) passed out of committee on a bipartisan 29-15 vote. If it becomes law, RAWA would provide some of the…
Read MoreJanuary NRC: Elk season results, wildlife division regulation schedule discussed
Commissioners heard elk season results and received an outline of the 2022 NRC regulation schedule from the wildlife division at their January meeting. The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) met Thursday at the Michigan Library and Historical Center Forum. Chair Carol Rose gaveled in the meeting at 9 a.m. The January meeting was the first for…
Read MoreTrio of bills aims to provide oversight of commercial guiding in Michigan
By MUCC Policy Assistant Justin Tomei, jtomei@mucc.org Michigan United Conservation Clubs has worked for more than six years through the Michigan Legislature to enact commercial guiding oversight in Michigan. This legislation has been amended several times since its original form, and it is a good starting point for making sure outdoor enthusiasts hiring guides are…
Read MoreJanuary NRC: No commission orders up for consideration, several land transactions likely
The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) will kick off 2022 with a light agenda and no commission orders up for consideration. Commissioners will meet at the MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 13. All NRC meetings are open to the public, and masks are required for all individuals entering MSU facilities. At the…
Read MoreJustin Tomei joins MUCC as new policy assistant
Howdy! My name is Justin Tomei, and I am excited to join MUCC as the new policy assistant. As a Traverse City native, I grew up hunting and fishing around Northern Michigan. Deer camp was always a place for me to make lasting memories with family and friends and continue the hunting traditions and heritage…
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