Northern Michigan Conservation Network

In what is the latest effort to conduct a legislative flogging of a caricature of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources which does not exist, SB-0078 prohibits the Director of the DNR or the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) from designating or classifying an area of land specifically for the purpose of “achieving or maintaining biological diversity.”  […]

Boy, were we wrong.  Back in December, we wrote that as a result of Governor Snyder’s proposal to require local approval in advance of any new State land acquisition we may never see another new public lake access site. As it turns out, there may be some areas in northern Michigan where we may never […]

February 11, 2013 What the Nomination of Sally Jewell Can Mean to Sportsmen By Hal Herring (posted with permission) “We are experiencing a shift in our country, a growing weariness with the voices of anger and willful ignorance, especially in the realm of our natural resources. We’ve all endured it: the utterly predictable voices that […]

The 5-year strategic plan for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division has been released for review and public comment. Since this coincides with the public input periods for the State Forest Management Plan, Comprehensive State Trail Plan, and the completion of the “Blue Ribbon” Parks Plan, we have noticed a recurring theme. As […]

For those of you who had been wondering what would be required to turn Michigan into the “Trail State,” look no further than the 150+ page draft of the Michigan Comprehensive Trail Plan which has been released for comment.  Governor Snyder’s stated goal of making Michigan the “Trail State” was once again referenced in his […]

The DNR Forest Resources Division is seeking public comment and input on three draft plans which will serve as the overall guide for the next ten years of forestry compartment planning. The public comment period ends on January 2, 2013 so now is the time to provide your input. For those who feel that such […]

First convened a year ago, Governor Snyder’s “Blue Ribbon” panel for Michigan State Parks and Outdoor Recreation has completed the final draft of its report, The Future of Michigan’s Parks and Outdoor Recreation: A Report to Governor Rick Snyder (click here for full report: Parks Panel Final 10-4-12) . The original Executive Order included the […]

This may be old news to many of you, but we’ve recently been hearing from others who have begun using and exploring an interactive mapping tool which has been integrated into the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website.  Although this feature, MI-Hunt, is described on their website as being primarily a tool for planning […]

A summit sponsored by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) was held earlier this month in Sarasota, FL with a goal of improving relations between businesses and industries involved in outdoor recreation.  Unfortunately, many in the outdoor industry had traditionally assumed that they were fighting over the same potential customers and that their success was […]

by Drew YoungeDyke – NMCN Contributing Editor A bill in the Michigan Senate would literally change the definition of conservation and remove biodiversity restoration from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)’s responsibilities. SB 1276, introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R – Escanaba), prohibits the DNR from designating land for biological diversity. The bill is designed […]