December NRC Preview

Justin Tomei • November 28, 2022

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 said that MUCC’s policy remains in support of state management of wolves, including the use of hunting and trapping as a management tool.

“The term recreational hunting has been tarnished by those seeking to undermine the value of wolf management,” Trotter said. “Wolves have fully recovered and that should be considered a conservation success story. MUCC has long supported sustainable management of wolves through hunting and trapping just like any other species.”

The meeting will be held on Thursday, Dec. 8 at Lansing Community College West Campus Rooms 119-121 beginning at 9:30 am.

The 2022 Elk Management Plan is also up for director action at December’s meeting.

Fisheries Order 210.23 and the Cozad amendment were tabled for a second time at the November meeting, and are both up for action next week.

Under new business for commissioners are Fisheries Order 216.23 and Wildlife Conservation Order #1 of 2023 .

Fisheries Order 216.23 adds certain regulations to the export of minnows, wigglers, and crayfish from Michigan waters to comply with Part 487 of P.A. 451 of 1994, as amended via Public Act 30 of 2022. The order also amends reporting deadlines and requirements for a new online reporting system.

Wildlife Conservation Order #1 of 2023 sets more stringent requirements for an individual to obtain a wildlife rehabilitation license, including time training under a licensed rehabilitator or veterinarian.

Under new business for the director are the oil and gas lease auction results from October and an order relating to Prarie River , reclassifying it from a warm water stream to a cold-transitional stream.

There are eight land transactions up for action. MUCC reviews any transaction exceeding 80 acres, of which there are two.

Land Transaction Case #20210129 is an acquisition of 158.67 acres in Livingston County, the property borders state land on the south and has access to the Silver Lake shoreline.

Land Transaction Case #20220140 is an exchange of 40 privately owned acres, surrounded on four sides by existing state land, for 80 state-owned acres previously designated as surplus lands and isolated from other state lands.

MUCC will be streaming the meeting on our Facebook page as technology allows.

To ensure our natural resources remain protected and managed thoughtfully in perpetuity, join Michigan United Conservation Clubs today: http://bit.ly/JoinMUCC .

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On the Ground: Wood Duck Boxes & More at Maple River State Game Area

By Katelyn Helsel • February 24, 2025

On Saturday, February 15, 2025, 26 volunteers joined MUCC’s On the Ground program in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for a wood duck nest box event at Maple River State Game Area in Gratiot County. This area located just north of Lansing consists of farm fields, woodlands, grasslands, and cattail marshes. It is a popular destination for hunters, trappers, birders, and wildlife viewers alike. Volunteers Maintain Nest Boxes & Remove Decking During this project, volunteers worked within three separate units of the state game area. Each group checked nest boxes and replaced old nesting material with fresh material as needed. Any use of the nest boxes by either wood ducks or other wildlife was also noted onto a data sheet. One group of volunteers also installed two brand new boxes in an area adjacent to several ponds. These new boxes will help increase nesting success even further for this incredible species. They will continue to be monitored by the DNR in addition to the existing boxes. Additionally, brush covering the entry of the boxes was cleared and used to create brush piles for small game habitat. Another group of volunteers removed old decking from a cross-bridge located between two units. Removal was fairly easy given that the boards were old and rotting away, which made the project all the more important. The boards will be replaced with fresh wood later in the year, therefore improving hunter accessibility. In total, volunteers improved approximately 49 acres of wildlife habitat directly through this project.