Northern Michigan Conservation Network

With September 15th just around the corner, we’ve been taking a look at some of the forecast data provided by both Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Wildlife Division, as well as the summary provided annually by the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS).  Before we begin looking at the grouse and woodcock forecast data made available […]

We must preface any discussion concerning agency budgets and fiscal implications by first saying the greatest cost of wildfires is personal injury and the loss of human life. While this risk may be a reality which is routinely accepted by those who have dedicated their professional careers to such endeavors, it is not one which […]

Well, that didn’t take long.  Just when we had naively thought that the supporters of Senate Bill 288 really meant it when they passed legislation granting the Michigan Department of Natural Resources authority to name game species based upon “scientific wildlife management,” some of these same bill sponsors now want to rescind the DNR’s authority […]

On Wednesday August 14, the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association’s (MOWA) will be holding a dedication of an historical marker which commemorates a 1919 fishing trip which later served as the inspiration for one of Ernest Hemingway’s most famous short stories, “Big Two-Hearted River.” According to the DNR Press release, “The marker is the latest in […]

On the same day that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) press release came out announcing the celebration of the upper peninsula’s Crisp Point land acquisition project, a national “Sign On Letter” was being circulated by the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. Besides their crossing in cyberspace, what’s the connection?  I’m glad you […]

Late last month, an alternative to the failed 2012 Sportsmen’s Act was introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).  Unlike the 2012 version which was introduced by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), the latest iteration excludes reauthorizations of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (S. 51) and the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. The good news […]

by Kay Charter – Twenty years ago, I watched in horror as a relative’s pet cat pulled first one, then another and then another lesser goldfinch from the feeder. Before she was done, the cat had killed ten of the tiny, bright yellow and black birds. She didn’t actually eat the birds because she wasn’t […]

Delta Waterfowl has released its 2013 annual duck breeding survey.  Although a slight breeding population decline is suggested on a year-to-year basis, the long term recovery trend remains strong. Last year’s low water levels which were symptomatic of many areas of the Prairie Pot Hole region have been supplanted with abundant breeding grounds.  The survey’s […]

Although we had hoped that they would at least allow us to have the summer off, it certainly comes as no surprise that the”brainstorming” has already begun on new ways to possibly divert the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF). Fresh off last session’s failed attempt to dredge the Fund, they appear to be back […]

In 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service completed its strategic planning document Conserving the Future – Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation.  Among other issues, the document included 24 recommendations relating to public use, planning and strategic growth,  science and research, partnerships and volunteers. Two recommendations pertaining to the role of hunting and fishing […]