Northern Michigan Conservation Network

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 […]

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 […]

I know that few people understand why paying more for recreational activities would be a cause for celebration, but then again, few understand the merit in walking through knee-deep snow before daylight or standing in a river waving a stick during a driving rain.   It was for these same reasons that many of us struggled […]

As we wrote on multiple occasions last summer, the U.S. Farm Bill has far-reaching implications on a variety of local and regional conservation and fisheries/wildlife habitat programs.  In spite of the political rhetoric which focuses more on food stamps and agricultural subsidies, this legislation represents far more than that.  For most of us in northern […]

The State Senate is on the threshold of voting on HB 4668, the Hunting/Fishing license restructuring package which will provide long term funding for natural resource management that is much needed.  Although it was just a week ago that we thought that this was a “done deal,” it’s now our understanding that at least one […]

Several U.S. House Bills which have implications on both federal wildlife refuges and U.S. military facilities here in northern Michigan have been sent on to the full U.S. House by the Committee on Natural Resources.  Specifically, these five fisheries and wildlife-related pieces of legislation include HR 819, HR 910, HR 1080, HR 1300 and HR […]

If we’ve learned nothing else from Michigan’s recent wolf management debate it is that when conflicts arise between humans and wildlife, it is in the best interest of both parties to at least create a sense that a plan is in place for peaceful coexistence. This issue of social acceptance is especially critical for species […]

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 […]