Northern Michigan Conservation Network

by Kay Charter – Eight thousand miles from Northern Michigan, resting between the top of Australia and the Equator in the far western region of the Pacific Ocean is the long island chain of New Guinea.  The eastern portion (including half of the largest of the islands) comprises the independent nation of Papua New Guinea.  […]

In what some are characterizing as an excellent example of scientific wildlife management at its finest, it was announced at last week’s Natural Resources Commission meeting that the DNR’s Wildlife Division is recommending that no hunting season be offered for Michigan’s moose herd this year (to see PowerPoint presentation click: here). As many know, the […]

By William Houston III – Perhaps one of the least discussed but most extraordinary geological features found in northern Michigan are its karst regions.  Michigan’s karst regions consist of a series of unique geological features such as sink holes, caves, caverns, intermittent springs, disappearing and reappearing streams and rivers, swallow holes, earthcracks and myriad other […]

Although many who enjoy the outdoors may have been among the last to climb onto the internet  train, they seem to be making up for lost time. An ever-increasing number of digital services now allow hunters and anglers to upload a high-quality digital photo of their “hunt of a lifetime” within seconds of the event […]

On May 8, 2013, Governor Snyder signed Michigan Senate Bills 288 and 289 into law – great news indeed. At the risk of sounding like the proverbial wet blanket by dampening the post-bill signing celebration, the reality is that for the full merit of this legislative achievement to be realized, we, as sportsmen-conservationists, must remain […]

The State House Bill (HB 4668) which includes the Michigan Department of Natural Resources license fee package has now been introduced and will be up for discussion on Wednesday (5/8) in House Committees. Amy Trotter, Resource Policy Manager for MUCC provides us with the following update: “Many of you supported the license fee increase directly […]

By Frank Krist, NMCN Contributing Editor – Mass marking involves inserting a tiny metal tag in the noses of all trout and salmon stocked in the Great Lakes.  The tags show which hatchery the fish are reared in along with when and where they are stocked.  Unless fish are monitored after they are released there […]

By Kay Charter – Four years ago, popular local TV personality Dave Barrons and I discussed ways to raise awareness about birds and bird conservation in Leelanau County.  Dave has also long been interested in increasing tourism in the county. I suggested we hold a county birding festival. Dave’s first reaction was understandably reluctance. “We […]

Okay, I’ll concede that Michigan Senate Bill 288 and House Bill 4552 would likely not be up for discussion were it not for the organized opposition to legislation resulting in wolves being added to the list of Michigan game species signed into law last December (Public Act 520 of 2012 – Senate Bill 1350).  Whether […]

As the DNR continues its process of regional meetings and public comment on its recently released Land Management Strategy (a.k.a. Land Plan), some surprising reactions have already been noted.  Most of us fully expected that the comments received from some northern Michigan residents and most locally-elected officials would be, “enough is enough,” and “we already have […]