MUCC Conservation Policy Board Sends Resolutions to Convention

The MUCC Conservation Policy Board was busy last Saturday, with a walleye lunch and 11 resolutions to review at Perch Point Conservation Club. 

One resolution was an emergency resolution and was up for information only. The December meeting was the final Policy Board meeting before the Annual Convention. 

In total, 14 resolutions and one emergency resolution have been passed and will be vetted at MUCC’s convention in March. To view all 15 proposed resolutions, click here. If adopted at convention, these resolutions become official grassroots policy. 

What to expect at Convention:

The Bottle Bill, a long-standing MUCC policy accomplishment, has resurfaced and will appear in two resolutions at Convention. Resolution #1 seeks to require weatherproof labels on beverage bottles so as not to inhibit the bottle-return process with worn labels, while Resolution #2 would expand the bottle bill to include non-carbonated beverage containers. 

Resolution #3 aims to develop a cormorant control program using volunteer licensed hunters to help Michigan achieve management numbers allowed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Two resolutions talk about trout: Resolution #4 seeks consistency in Au Sable River trout fishing seasons and Resolution #12 gives extensive reasoning as to why Stannard Rock should be protected as it is a high-quality lake trout fishery.

An emergency resolution opposing the Nyberg steelhead amendment was shared as an informational item at the December Policy Board. For more information on the amendment to Fisheries Order 200.23A, read our November NRC Recap. 

The MUCC Executive Board passed the emergency resolution in November. Emergency resolutions don’t go through MUCC’s usual resolution process instead being passed by a majority of the executive board, and serve as MUCC policy on an interim basis; however, once at Convention members can vote on this resolution as they would any other. 

There are four resolutions on deer this year: 

• Resolution #5 asks MUCC to support the adoption of antler point regulations. 
• Resolution #10 seeks MUCC’s support in publishing DMU antlerless harvest goals.
• Resolution #13 looks to include crop damage and DMAP take in harvest reporting.
• Resolution #14 describes the importance of state-sponsored venison donation programs like Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger and asks that MUCC work with the DNR and legislature to ensure the programs have adequate funding.

Resolution #11 bolsters existing policy in support of a year-round coyote hunt. The resolution differs from existing policy and focuses on the biological need for robust coyote management using hunting and trapping as the primary management method.

Resolutions looking at larger game are on the agenda as well. Resolution #6 asks that MUCC works with the DNR, the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) and the legislature to conduct a limited bull moose hunt in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Resolution #7 asks for MUCC to work with the DNR to allow for the transfer of bear points to those eligible within DNR hunt transfer program guidelines.

Resolution #8 will look at increasing boater registration fees with help from MUCC, the legislature, the DNR and stakeholders so that revenue generated can go towards operating and maintaining the Michigan State Waterways Program. 

Resolution #9 calls for NRC action to make it illegal to knowingly use a legally placed stand or blind that does not belong to you or one of your immediate hunting party, without written permission to do so. 

During the next few months, MUCC policy staff will be adding its comments to the resolutions, as well as reaching out to relevant state agencies, primarily the DNR, for their input. These comment books are made available to all convention attendees and provide added information prior to voting. For more information on how to attend MUCC’s 2024 Annual Convention click here.

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