Policy

The Governor’s 2015 Forest Products Summit, at the end of October in East Lansing, Michigan, brought together 150 representatives from industry, government, the financial sector, conservation and academia to continue actions started at the Governor’s 2013 Forest Products Summit to encourage growth of wood-using industries in the state. It is already paying dividends thanks to…

Pro-hunting legislation to deter poaching and increase hunting access passed the House of Representatives today. The House passed HB 4239 unanimously and SB 244-246 by an average vote of 77-28. On September 9, during MUCC’s Camo at the Capitol lobby day, the original version of HB 4239 was amended in the Senate Committee on Outdoor…

Last week, on Tuesday the House Natural Resource Committee held a meeting regarding House Bill 4908, which deals with a repeal for a sunset on the authority of the Natural Resource Commission to issue an order regarding deer and elk feeding. We expect them to approve it this week. This is the same content of…

With most of our minds our on the rut, getting deer camp plans squared away or celebrating/lamenting the game in Ann Arbor, here at the Michigan United Conservation Clubs office we’re also anticipating some very important legislative activity this week. Two hunting bills that were featured as priorities at our September 9 Camo at the…

Michigan United Conservation Clubs has been working with the Michigan Salmon and Steelhead Fishermen’s Association to enact a ban on fish-killing microbeads in the Great Lakes. However, the recent legislation proposed to do just such a thing leaves a loophole for undefined “biodegradable” microbeads. Here is our letter in opposition to the legislation:   Re: HB…

As anglers across the state know, the combined daily possession limit for Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, and the Flathead Catfish have all had a combined daily possession limit of five fish total, with no more than 2 pike.  This to some anglers seems like a small amount, compared to all the effort…

At the next Natural Resources Commission meeting on September 10th, a topic of discussion will be the Fisheries Order 215, which establishes the statewide warm water species sport fishing regulations. There are several regulation changes proposed for this Order, one of which will require the registration of all bass tournaments and instituting a new Catch-and-Delayed-Release…

At a recent Ann Arbor City Council meeting, I witnessed dozens of animal rights activists wearing red shirts to protest the city council’s approval of a deer cull. There were numerous references to the “blood on the hands” of the city council members, and, predictably, even a Cecil the Lion reference. The people who want…

At the 2015 Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) Annual Convention, delegates approved a major restructuring of the Board of Directors, organizational structure, and the governing bylaws for the 78-year old organization. These changes will preserve the opportunity for continued involvement with MUCC members as well as protect the “grassroots” nature of conservation policy adoption and…