By Frank Krist, NMCN Contributing Editor There have been several legislative hearings completed reviewing the Governor’s DNR budget proposal and the hunting and fishing license fee restructuring. A few adjustments have been suggested, but overall support has been expressed for the proposal with many organizations backing it. This package still has not been approved by the […]
March 7, 2013
Comments Off on Senate Bill-78 on Biodiversity – Bad Bill for Other Reasons
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.” […]
March 5, 2013
Comments Off on Please Consider the Wildlife in Getting that Photo of Lifetime
As we approach another spring wildlife breeding season, it is probably worth reminding ourselves that when it comes to nature photography, the end doesn’t necessarily justify the means. Most people who are drawn to such activities and possess a connection to wildlife recognize that clear boundaries need to be established and maintained when it comes […]
February 28, 2013
Comments Off on Public Land Cap 2.0 – Or, The Solution May Be Worse Than The Problem
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 25, 2013
Comments Off on It’s Time For Trust Fund Projects To Include Habitat Restoration
by Paul Rose, NMCN Sr. Editor I know what you’re thinking. For a website that has spent much of its time and identity highlighting legislative efforts to divert and alter the constitutionally-protected use of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF), proposing any change to its current use and funding allocation may be seen as […]
February 24, 2013
Comments Off on Chickadees Lead the Way
by Kay Charter – (photo credit – Wayne Richard Pope) As soon as my husband and I established Charter Sanctuary – a safe haven for migrating and nesting birds in Leelanau County – we began to get questions about what to feed birds. Adapting the old Chinese proverb, “Give a man a fish and he’ll […]
February 20, 2013
Comments Off on Getting Kids Outdoors Through Family Nature Clubs
Much has been discussed and written in recent years about the increasing disconnect between people and nature, especially as it relates to America’s children. No single writing has done as much to advance the topic than Richard Louv’s 2008 book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. Although this multi-generational trend […]
February 15, 2013
Comments Off on DNR License Fee Restructuring Plan – Boots and Badges on the Ground
Now that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) hunting and fishing license fee proposal is a week old and the dust has begun to settle, we’re beginning to hear and see reactions to its details. While it remains our opinion that the initial reaction to the proposal was largely positive, we must disclose we […]
February 11, 2013
Comments Off on U.S. Interior Secretary Nominee Drawing Positive Reviews From Sportsmen
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 […]
February 7, 2013
Comments Off on MDNR Fish and Wildlife Funding Help May Be On the Way
We’re trying not to get too excited about the possibility of all of the necessary pieces coming together, but based upon the content of Governor Snyder’s 2014 budget message, repairing the revenue problems associated with an antiquated fish and game license structure appears to have been made a Gubernatorial priority. To say that this is […]
Northern Michigan Conservation Network 
March 13, 2013
Comments Off on Support is Building for MDNR Hunting and Fishing License Fee Proposal