Northern Michigan Conservation Network

by Drew YoungeDyke, NMCN Contributing Editor The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund was put into the Michigan Constitution in 1984 and placed under the leadership of an advisory board to keep it away from politicians. Senate Bill 1238 would give it back. The bill packs the nonpartisan Natural Resources Trust Fund Advisory Board with two […]

In a recent action, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (don’t ask us about the committee title, we’re still trying to figure out what Ways and Means means) approved S. 2156 which shifts the authority over the price of federal ducks stamps from Congress to the Secretary of the Department of Interior. In […]

Following up on a story originally posted on this site on June 26, 2012 (To All of Our Contributors to the MNRTF – “Say it Ain’t So”), it was announced on Thursday by Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corporation that on June 29th it had been subpoenaed by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide all documents […]

After a multi-month process which included public meetings, a web-based survey and further internal discussion and review, the DNR Fisheries Division is recommending to the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) that no change be made to the current harvest limit of five brook trout per day for Michigan’s upper peninsula.  As most who have been following […]

As a result of Michigan United Conservation Clubs’ recent press releases and blogs, many of you may already know about a recent Appellate Court decision affecting recreational shooting ranges.  Thanks to the original work of MUCC and others, the use and historic operation of Michigan’s sport shooting ranges has been legislatively protected since 1989 when […]

One website that recently attracted our interest was the Detroit District U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) website which tracks historic Great Lakes water levels. Our interest was due, in part, to the concerns and discussions taking place in recent years surrounding the levels of Lakes Huron and Michigan. There is no place where the […]

Reading this week’s issue of Showcasing the DNR and its feature on the wildlife restoration success story represented by the Kirtland’s warbler once again brought to mind the importance of conservation education.  It was a just over two years ago when controversy erupted as a result of the disclosure that Deer Range Improvement Project funds […]

July 19, 2012 Please call your U.S. House of Representatives member TODAY and urge them to support the conservation provisions in the Farm Bill. by Bob Marshall (posted with permission) “Conservation groups this week are sending a desperate plea to sportsmen: Contact your House members today and urge them to bring the Farm Bill up […]

Well, it was nice while it lasted, but the Michigan State Senate is now back in session.  Although the ink is hardly dry on several bad pieces legislation involving public resource management, many of those same bill sponsors are now back from a summer recess and will likely be seeking action on the next phase […]

Regardless of the causes or circumstances, we are in the midst of yet another “unseasonably” warm summer which is again placing stress on many of our northern Michigan cold-water systems.  In the coming days, we will be asking several of our contributors to weigh in on their take on the situation and perhaps offer possible […]