Policy
Whitmer appoints new acting DNR director
Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a cabinet shake-up last week, choosing new interim leadership for the state’s two conservation departments — the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Environment of Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). Former DNR Director Dan Eichinger was tapped to lead EGLE as the interim director. Former DNR Natural Resources Deputy Shannon…
Read MoreDecember NRC Preview
The updated wolf plan is expected to be signed at next week’s Natural Resources Commission meeting. The plan, presented to the commission at the November NRC meeting, provides a non-operational management plan for gray wolves in Michigan. Director Dan Eichinger is expected to sign the plan. Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) Executive Director Amy Trotter…
Read MoreGreat Lakes Consent Decree negotiations tangled up
Recent court filings by a conservation coalition, tribes and others embroiled in fishery negotiations show how far the three-year process still has to go. An existing Great Lakes Consent Decree signed in 2000 governs fishing regulations in certain waters of lakes Michigan and Huron from Grand Haven north around the tip of the mitt to…
Read MoreLocal governments continue to oppose expansion of Camp Grayling
A groundswell of local support has been growing as a decision on the Camp Grayling land review could come at any time. In June, the National Guard announced its intention to expand Camp Grayling’s current lease of 148,000 acres to 315,000 acres — more than doubling its existing footprint on public land. MUCC submitted its…
Read MoreNovember NRC Preview
Wolves and Proposal G both will be discussed during the November Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 10 at Lansing Community College West Campus, 5708 Cornerstone Drive Lansing, Michigan 48917. Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) Executive Director Amy Trotter and Executive Board President Tim Muir will…
Read MoreOctober NRC Recap
Commissioners voted to redefine what constitutes an artificial fly in Michigan at the October Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. Fisheries Order 200.23, which defines what an artificial fly is, passed unanimously after one minor amendment submitted by Commissioner Cozad. Fisheries Orders 254.23 was also passed at the October meeting. Fisheries Order 206.23 was tabled again…
Read MoreDNR Announces Plans for 2022 Pheasant Release
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced its 2022 pheasant release plan Friday, following Gov. Whitmer’s approval of a $100,000 appropriation for the program this week. The DNR will not be using additional supplemental funds during the 2022 season, meaning $50,000 will be spent this year and $150,000 for the 2023 release. This means roughly…
Read MoreSenate passes HB 6354, MUCC requests veto
Mandatory deer reporting will likely remain a misdemeanor following both chambers’ political stunts On Wednesday, the Michigan Senate followed the House’s lead and chose to score cheap political points and forgo good policy, the best interests of Michigan’s hunters and Michigan’s natural resources. The Senate passed, on a bipartisan 26-10 vote, an amended version (H-5)…
Read MoreOctober NRC Preview: Turkeys and Wolves Highlight a UP NRC Meeting
The October Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting will be include turkey regulations and a timeline on the wolf management plan. The meeting will be held at Northern Michigan University, located at NC Peninsula II, 1401 Presque Isle Avenue Marquette on October 13, 2022 at 9 a.m. Coffee with commissioners will precede committee meetings at 8…
Read MoreLegislature tries to score political points days before deer season, subverts Proposal G and the NRC
Yesterday, the Michigan House of Representatives on a largely party line vote chose to play politics with Michigan’s natural resources. HB 6354, which would have decriminalized failure to report a deer harvest by reducing penalties from a misdemeanor and possible jail time to a civil infraction, was unanimously approved as introduced by the House Government…
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