Western Upper Peninsula Citizen Advisory Council DNR Division Reports Date of Production: March 2019

This documentation is provided by Michigan DNR staff as a supplement to verbal reports that will be distributed to the Western UPCAC at the March 21, 2019 meeting in Iron Mountain, MI.

Upper Peninsula Regional Coordinator Update – Stacy Haughey, UP Regional Coordinator

DNR Public Meetings March 21 Western UP Citizen’s Advisory Council Meeting, Bay College West-Iron Mountain, 5:00pm Central March 25 Conversations & Coffee with Fisheries Staff, Bay College-Rm 961, Escanaba, 6-8:00pm March 26 Conversations & Coffee with Fisheries Staff, Bay College West-Rm 231, Iron Mountain, 6-8:00pm Central April 2 Conversations & Coffee with Fisheries Staff, Tahquamenon Public Library-Newberry, 6-8:00pm April 4 Conversations & Coffee with Fisheries Staff, Holiday Inn Express-Munising, 6-8:00pm April 9 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting, Gogebic-Ontonagon ISD-Bergland, 1:00pm April 9 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting, Hiawatha FS Office-St. Ignace, 1:30pm April 10 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting, DNR Baraga Office, 4:00pm April 11 Natural Resources Commission Meeting, Lansing April 11 Ask the DNR TV Program, WLUC-TV13, 8:00pm April 16 Foresters for Fish Forum, River Rock Lanes-Ishpeming, 5:00pm April 16 Conversations & Coffee with Fisheries Staff, LSSU Anchor Room-Sault Ste. Marie, 6-8:00pm April 23 Conversations & Coffee with Fisheries Staff, Gobebic Community College-Ironwood, 6-8:00pm Central April 24 Conversations & Coffee with Fisheries Staff, Ishpeming Township Hall-Ishpeming, 7-9:00pm April 25 Conversations & Coffee with Fisheries Staff, Portage Lake District Library-Houghton, 7-9:00pm April 18 Eastern UP Citizen’s Advisory Council Meeting, Newberry, 6:00pm

U.P. State Park & State Sponsored Activities March 29-31 UP Boat, Sport & RV Show – Superior Dome in Marquette (visit the DNR Booth!) March 30 Tahquamenon Falls State Park – Introduction to Skijoring May 18 Tahquamenon Falls State Park – National Kids to Parks Day Hike

Season Dates & Reminders March 11 Leftover Turkey & Hunt 234 on sale (unsuccessful applicants; OTC begins 3/18/19) March 11 Last day to register Bobcats taken by hunting (Units A, B, C), see p. 54 of guide March 15 Walleye, Pike, Muskie seasons close in most waters, see p. 12 of guide for exceptions March 20 Dip netting opens (smelt, suckers, bowfin, carp, gar, shad, goldfish) March 31 Hunt, Fish, and ORV Licenses expire (Fur Harvester is valid until April 30) March 31 Last day for ice shanties in the Upper Peninsula March 31 Squirrel, Early Crow, and Rabbit/Hare seasons close

1 of 13 Recent DNR Press Releases For full details, go to: www.michigan.gov/dnrpressroom

▪ Showcasing the DNR: Battling oak wilt disease (2/28/19) ▪ UP Focus: Blizzard pounds central Upper Peninsula (2/27/19) ▪ Share ideas on plan for Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (2/26/19) ▪ Wildlife job openings, Iron Belle trail grants, wolf survey (2/25/19) ▪ Showcasing the DNR: Michigan’s early parks development (2/22/19) ▪ Master Angler rules, outdoor skills, help, March 1 license year start (2/19/19) ▪ Showcasing the DNR: Task force making strides toward protecting Buffalo Reef (2/14/19) ▪ DNR conservation officers rescue snowmobilers in Ontonagon County (2/11/19) ▪ DNR director to visit UP, attend sporting group meetings (2/6/19) ▪ Buffalo Reef Task Force releases preliminary draft alternatives analysis (2/5/19) ▪ UP Focus: DNR conservation officers at work (2/5/19) ▪ Yellow perch daily limit, DNR social platforms, state symbols (2/5/19) ▪ Showcasing the DNR: Conservation officers heed calls for help during wintry weather (2/4/19) ▪ DNR Get Involved: State park volunteer opportunities, bird counts and more (2/1/19)

Grant Contacts For grant information, to go: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-58225---,00.html

Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant Merrie Carlock, 517-284-5931, [email protected] Recreation Passport Grant Merrie Carlock, 517-284-5931, [email protected] Aquatic Habitat Grant Kelly Parker, 517-284-5957, [email protected] Michigan Invasive Species Grant Kammy Frayre, 517-284-5970, [email protected] Wildlife Habitat Grant Kelly Parker, 517-284-5957, [email protected] U.P. Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Grant Bill Scullon, 906-563-9247, [email protected]

Eastern UPCAC Update

The Eastern UP Citizen’s Advisory Council Meeting met on February 20th in Newberry. It was the first meeting with new chair, Mr. Tom Buckingham. Four new members were introduced: Ms. Angel Portice of Pickford, Mr. Ken Collier of Naubinway, Mr. Jeff Cox of Manistique and Mr. Tony Wright of Manistique, all replacing spots opened termed members. Old Business included a continued discussion of additional overtime for officers during deer season (it was determined no further action was necessary, updates on CWD and the UP Wildlife Habitat Workgroup. New Business included a youth bear hunt proposal (same as was provided at the January WUPCAC meeting), a review of DNR responses to two resolutions—bear/wolf specialist position and a change to the statewide perch limit (which was in support of the WUPCAC’s resolution). Subcommittee reports were also provided. The next EUPCAC meeting will be held on April 18th in Newberry.

March 2019 NRC Meeting Summary – Ed Golder, Public Information Officer

The Natural Resources Commission met on March 13th at Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire. Major actions:

• The commission approved migratory game bird hunting seasons for 2019-2020, which included few changes from current regulations. The daily possession limit for Pintails will be reduced from two birds to one.

2 of 13

• The commission approved bear regulations for 2019-2020. The department’s proposed regulations had been amended based on commission input at the February meeting. The commission made two further amendments to the regulations today before approving them: • Limiting bait barrel locations to within 100 yards of a state forest road as defined in law. • Requiring that bait barrels and all materials used in a bait station on state-managed public lands be removed no later than five days after the end of the season; and requiring that bait barrels have a mechanically attached, securely affixed lid. • Director Dan Eichinger approved five land transactions. Details of these land transactions can be found in the NRC agenda online.

The meeting included a joint meeting of the NRC’s Marketing, Partnership, Youth and Outreach Advisory Committee and the Outdoor Recreation Advisory Council (ORAC). ORAC was formed last year within the DNR to improve the outdoor recreation economy, employment and consumer spending, and support conservation and public recreation across the state. The joint meeting focused on areas of common concern and potential cooperation between the NRC and ORAC.

Next, the Policy Committee on Wildlife and Fisheries met. Fisheries Chief Jim Dexter reported to the committee that construction will begin this month on an ultraviolet light isolation building at Oden Fish Hatchery. The building will be used to rear Arctic grayling, as part of the state’s Arctic grayling initiative. In addition, Fisheries plans to start construction this summer on upgrades on the Little Manistee River Weir, a popular tourist destination in Manistee County. Also this summer, the division will begin construction on its first building dedicated to rearing coolwater species at the Thompson Fish Hatchery.

Fisheries is in the process of holding11 Conversations & Coffee meetings in northern Michigan and the U.P. The meetings allow opportunity for Fisheries staff to meet with constituents to listen to concerns and answer questions.

Jim outlined a proposal for lake trout regulations on Grand Traverse Bay. The state has to reduce its harvest limits on the bay in 2019 under provisions of Michigan’s 2000 Consent Decree with tribal governments. Last year the state exceeded harvest limits outlined in the Consent Decree. As a result, the department will recommend that the commission reduce the daily bag limit on Grand Traverse Bay from two lake trout to one for this year’s season.

Wildlife Chief Russ Mason reported on the recent meeting in Denver of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. It was announced there that Director Eichinger will be appointed as the Mississippi Flyway Council representative to the North American Wetlands Conservation Act Council, Russ said. Also at the meeting, Department of Interior Acting Secretary David Bernhardt announced his intention to propose removing wolves from the endangered species list in the lower 48 states. Director Eichinger later told the commission that the Michigan DNR will review the service’s delisting proposal in detail and offer comments from the state’s perspective within the 60-day time period provided for public input.

Kelly Siciliano Carter, who has led the Wildlife’s Division highly successful Public, Outreach and Engagement Unit, is leaving the department to take a position with the Michigan Department of Education, Russ said. Kelly has done an outstanding job and she’ll be missed. Russ plans to appoint an acting supervisor to ensure no break in service.

Tom Cooley, a wildlife pathologist with the DNR’s Wildlife Disease Laboratory and a 40-year veteran of the department, has received Michigan State University’s Outstanding Alumni Award from the university’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In the past decade alone, Russ said, Tom has served as lead pathologist on more than 10,000 cases of wildlife mortality and has been an author and co-author on hundreds of publications.

The Wildlife Division completed its Western Upper Peninsula moose abundance survey. The survey suggests the population is about 509 animals and is growing at an average of about 2 percent each year. Russ announced that supplemental feeding of deer will be allowed in the southern portion of the Upper Peninsula. Supplemental feeding will not be allowed in the core and expanded monitoring zones in the UP where chronic wasting disease has been found. The

3 of 13 supplemental feeding action was triggered when average U.P. snow depths measured across the region were nearly double that of a 15-year average for late February and March.

During the Committee of the Whole, Paul Kline, a ranger at the Ludington State Park, was recognized for winning the ServiceWear Apparel Park Ranger of the Year Award, chosen among his peers nationwide for this honor. A graduate of Lake Superior State University, Paul began his career with the department in 1994 as a seasonal ranger at Seven Lakes State Park. An avid hunter, angler and birding enthusiast, Paul exemplifies excellence in public service. In his honor, ServiceWear donated $1,000 to the Friends of Ludington State Park and $1,000 in apparel to the park.

Parks and Recreation Division Chief Ron Olson highlighted the ongoing Centennial Celebration for the Michigan State Parks system. Ron reported that the Michigan Snowmobile Association is creating a new organization called the Michigan Snowmobile and Off Road Vehicle Association.

Steve Chadwick of the Wildlife Division reported that a 4.5 year old doe taken in Jackson County tested positive for chronic wasting disease. The doe was taken near where a CWD-positive deer was previously identified in Spring Arbor Township of the county.

The department is moving ahead with an experiment in antler point restrictions in a five-county area of Southwest Michigan in the Lower Peninsula where chronic wasting disease exists. The goal of the experiment is to evaluate if APRs within the five-county area impact deer abundance and sex/age composition.

Marketing and Outreach Chief Kristin Phillips updated the commission on communications efforts around CWD. The DNR hosted a Nature Center Summit at the RAM in February to share information regarding the disease with nature centers, zoos and similar organizations our communications don’t normally reach. Kristin talked about the department’s response to recent news stories regarding CWD and reviewed what our scientists know and have said regarding these matters.

The DNR and Michigan State University are partnering to advance research, education and technical assistance on wildlife disease. A $4.7 million competitive grant program has been developed that will be implemented through MSU.

March 2019 Legislative Updates – Legislative & Legal Affairs Office

HB 4018 – Revise Penalty for Illegal Taking of Sturgeon - Rep. Allor This bill will amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to increase the fine for the illegally taking of a sturgeon to $5,000.00. The statute currently allows for a fine of between $500.00 to $2,000.00. • This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation. • The Administration has not taken a position on this legislation.

HB 4244 Provide Appropriations for fiscal year 2018-2019; Natural resources trust fund – Rep. Green This bill contains the recommendations made by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board for Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant awards. The recommendations include 30 land acquisitions and 34 development grants. The 64 total grant awards total $26,044,000, while also leveraging $15,877,600 in local match, for a total investment of $41,921,600. • This bill was referred to the House Committee on Appropriations. The bill passed out of committee as a substitute H-1, passed the House of Representatives and is now in the Senate.

If you would like to learn more about these and other bills, you can access the Michigan Legislature website at www.legislature.mi.gov.

4 of 13

Division Updates

Law Enforcement Division (LED): Lt. Ryan Aho, District 1 Law Supervisor ▪ Sgt. Mark Leadman has transferred back to District 1 from District 2.

▪ COs Jenni Hanson and Zach Painter: Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers Jenni Hanson and Zach Painter – who typically patrol Gogebic County – had been working earlier in the day near Bergland with U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer Josh Lopac. The three officers were working to police careless snowmobiling Saturday in Ontonagon County. “We work together a lot,” Painter said. "There's a lot of land in this part of the Upper Peninsula that's part of the Ottawa National Forest."

That same day, Painter had responded to a personal injury accident, involving a snowmobiler who struck a tree and had to be airlifted to a Wisconsin hospital. Hanson had been assisting with a women’s snowmobile clinic in Bergland. She was on her way home when the call came in. One of the members from an original group of seven or eight snowmobilers made his way back 10 or 15 miles to the Konteka Black Bear Resort in White Pine. From there, police were alerted that four riders had not kept up with the group. They were now stranded where their sleds became stuck in slush in the middle of the river. Painter said the snowmobilers had ridden up the river, which is illegal under federal regulations, to do some backcountry off-trail riding.

Hanson, Painter and Lopac, along with an Ontonagon County Sheriff’s deputy, were the first law enforcement officers arriving on the scene. The deputy set up an incident command post at the resort. He instructed Hanson and Painter to travel 3 or 4 miles up Federal Forest Road 360 to a bridge where they could access the river. This was the only place to reach the riders from the south. Meanwhile, Lopac, a volunteer and a couple of Michigan State Police troopers worked their way off the North Country Trail to try to reach the riders from the north. DNR Parks and Recreation Division staffers provided assistance and equipment to the effort. The two conservation officers parked their snowmobiles at the river and began their trek upstream to find the snowmobilers. “You needed snowshoes to get back there,” Hanson said. “At times it was treacherous.” The officers had to decide between the lesser of three poor options in making their way up the river, which was 15 to 20 feet across at its widest point. They could walk up the tracks of the sleds, which might be concealing weakened ice. The banks of the river were high and steep, and the edges of the river held deep, soft snow. “We decided to walk up the tracks of the sleds because that was the path of least resistance,” Hanson said. “It was the easiest walking.” Still, there were obstacles to negotiate, including places in the ice where their boots would break through into the slush or shallow water below. Where the water was open, the officers had to get out of the river and walk around the hazard before returning to the snowmobile track up the river. “In the powder it was 3 or 4 feet deep there in some areas,” Hanson said. “Even in snowshoes, you would sink if you stepped there.” Painter said the conservation officers tried to stay on safe ice near the shore whenever possible.

About the time the rider had reached the resort to report the incident, the remaining four snowmobilers had decided to abandon their sleds and start walking downstream. Hanson and Painter eventually met the four riders walking. The officers had brought warm hats, gloves, water and granola bars to aid the sledders. Hanson checked their conditions. One of the four men was presenting symptoms of hypothermia, including exhaustion, low energy and loss of fine motor skills – he was unable to tear open the food package. “Their clothes were wet and frozen on them,” Hanson said. “There were ice balls hanging off their clothes.” The officers guessed all the men ranged in age from 25 to 35. Another of them began to show signs of hypothermia on the hike back. “He seemed fine, but as we continued walking, he started to stumble and began to lose awareness,” Hanson said. “They claimed they had been walking for three hours before we met them.” It was 3 miles to the bridge from where the conservation officers had met up with the men. From there, it took them just under two hours to make the walk back. “They were like zombies walking out of the woods; they would take a step and then fall over,” Hanson said. “They were so exhausted.”

Back at the bridge, the men were loaded into heated side-by-side off-road vehicles with tracked wheels. From there, the men were taken the roughly 3 miles back to M-64, where ambulances, police and fire officers waited. It was

5 of 13 about midnight when the search party returned safely with the sledders. Beyond mild hypothermia, the riders had no injuries. “By walking, they pretty much saved their lives,” Hanson said. “They kept warm by walking.”

All four of the riders were from Minnesota, and a couple of them had been to the area riding before. “They said they had only a couple of years of riding snowmobiles,” Painter said. “They admitted they were in terrain too rough for their riding experience.” Lopac issued a ticket to the group for riding in an area closed by the Forest Service to sledding – the river ice. The area the men were snowmobiling in is located southeast of Nonesuch Falls and Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Hanson said it was a very exhausting effort getting out to where the riders were located. “As soon as we found them, it was very rewarding,” she said. “I’m glad we were there.”

▪ Sgt. Mark Leadman, COs John Kamps, Brett Delonge & Josh Boudreaux: Snow and strong winds during Marquette’s most recent winter storm created blizzard conditions so intense, several snowmobilers became stranded. Michigan DNR Conservation Officers responded to several emergency calls to aid snowmobilers Sunday, working through the night into the early hours of the next day. “There were multiple people lost and stuck on the trails in Marquette County,” said Sgt. Mark Leadman. “None of these were quick rescues, everything was dragged out due to the extreme winter conditions.” The storm raged through the area, shutting down traffic along M-28 between Marquette and Munising, dumping nearly 20 inches of snow near Negaunee and producing wind gusts over 60 miles per hour along the Lake Superior shoreline.

In one rescue mission, two Marquette men, ages 30 and 31, were snowmobiling near Trail No. 8 when they got separated from each other due to low visibility from the blowing snow. Both of the rider’s snowmobiles became stuck in 6-foot-tall snow drifts. Around 11 p.m., Conservation Officer John Kamps began assisting Marquette County Search and Rescue personnel in locating the two men. After looking for about an hour, one of the riders s was found near the Lindberg Gravel Pit, north of Marquette County Road 480. It was several hours later before the second snowmobiler was located, about a quarter mile from where the first man had been found. “Both men were cold, but in good condition,” Kamps said “Unable to get their snowmobiles out of the deep snow drifts, both of the men were taken by first responders to a warm location near the gravel pit.”

Kamps then left the first search and rescue effort to respond to a second call for help along Trail No. 8, this one from a 52-year-old Marquette man who was stranded near the crossroads of County Road 480 and M-553. The man had been snowmobiling home when he became lost in whiteout conditions. His snowmobile got stuck in a 3-foot snow drift. Kamps and a volunteer search and rescue team member got on the trail on their snowmobiles in the crossroads area. After about 90 minutes of searching, they located the man. cold, but in good condition. The man had abandoned his snowmobile and walked the trail for 3 or4 miles searching for help. The man was given a ride back on the volunteer’s snowmobile. He was dropped off at a warm location around 1:30 a.m., where he was able to call for a ride home.

In another incident, farther west, Leadman and conservation officers s Josh Boudreaux and Brett DeLong responded to a Marquette County Dispatch call about three men from Ohio who were stranded along Trail No. 5. The men made several calls for help to emergency dispatchers after their snowmobiles became stuck in drifted snow covering the trail. “The roads weren’t passable,” Leadman said. “Conditions were blinding with extreme drifts.” Using GPS coordinates obtained from the 911 call, the conservation officers s searched the trail for several hours before they located the three men around 1 a.m. With the sleds stuck in the snow, the conservation officers s transported the men on their patrol sleds a distance of about seven miles before arriving at a convenience store located at Koski Corners. The men arrived at the store, which is situated at the intersection of M-95 and U.S. 41 West, at about 3 a.m. where they were able to call a ride to pick them up. Neither of the snowmobilers required medical attention.

▪ COs Dave Miller and PCO Cole VanOosten: A husband and wife from a suburb located north east of Detroit were rescued early Friday morning after becoming stranded on an old snowmobile trail near Moose Mountain in Baraga County. Michigan DNR Conservation Officers Dave Miller and Cole VanOosten received a call around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday from DNR and Baraga County dispatchers. Dispatchers reported that there were two snowmobilers stranded in the Three Lakes area. The Farmington Hills couple, a 52-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man, were snowmobiling and stopped to eat dinner. When they began their ride back to the Cozy Inn, located in Nestoria, on

6 of 13 US-41 and Nestoria, they followed trail signs for the old Trail No. 8. Riding in the fresh snow up and around Moose Mountain, the two became stuck in a frozen swamp area on the other side of the mountain. Baraga County Search and Rescue and Michigan State Police provided Miller and VanOosten with coordinates of where the couple might be located. The conservation officers were told to enter the old Trail No. 8 from Lake Ruth Road. Riding their snowmobiles about 200 yards, the conservation officers reached a line of telephone poles where they saw the snowmobile tracks. Miller and VanOosten followed the tracks one mile, riding in about 4-feet of fresh snow, when they came across the two snowmobilers – whose snowmobiles were stuck in snow drifts. Dispatch advised the man and woman to begin walking the way they came – the two had been walking for about eight minutes when Miller and VanOosten arrived. The couple abandoned their snowmobiles and rode with Miller and VanOosten. Following the original tracks, Miller and VanOosten began to transport the husband and wife on their DNR snowmobiles. “It was intense riding,” Miller said. “The snow was very deep – if you stepped off the sled, the snow was up to our chest.” Miller and VanOosten delivered the couple to Baraga County Search and Rescue, who transported them back to the Cozy Inn. Both in good condition, the husband and wife refused medical treatment.

Fisheries Division: George Madison, Western Lake Superior Management Unit The following are the western Upper Peninsula fisheries division highlights for the period of January 17, 2019 through March 20, 2019.

Escanaba Field Office (Darren Kramer) ▪ Biologist Jennifer Johnson will be giving an update of past operations of the Menominee Dam sturgeon lift at the Michigan Chapter of the American Fisheries Society meeting in late March. ▪ Staff have attended several meetings to work with constituents, other agencies, and within Fisheries Division: Dickinson County Conservation District, annual DNR-DEQ Aquatic Resources meeting, WUPCAC Fisheries Subcommittee, WRISC meeting to discuss invasive species, Fisheries Division walleye committee, Michigan Mussel Workgroup, Forest Certification Team, Republic Sportsmen’s Club, etc. ▪ Staff met with WDNR, Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, USFWS and UW-Stevens Point to discuss spring operations at the Menominee Dam sturgeon lift. ▪ Technicians are repairing equipment and preparing for spring fieldwork. ▪ Biologists are analyzing survey data and writing reports. ▪ Conversations and Coffee meetings have been scheduled to discuss division updates and proposed fisheries order changes. March 25th-Escanaba (6pm), March 26th-Iron Mountain (6pm Central).

Baraga Customer Service Center (George Madison) ▪ A DNR-Fisheries Lake Superior Basin Team meeting was held in Marquette. ▪ Developed fish stocking requests for Western UP waters. ▪ Finalized the 2019 and 2020 workplan, surveys, and field projects. ▪ Met with 1842 Native American Tribes and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission to review the upcoming spring tribal fishing season, walleye rearing, and workplans. ▪ Participated on a Torch Lake Summit planning team. ▪ Ordered 10,000 adult pre-spawn bluegills for stocking into Marquette County’s Silver Lake Basin. ▪ Gave an evening fisheries presentation to the Marquette Sportsmen Coalition. ▪ Summarized numerous 2017 and 2018 lake and stream fisheries surveys. ▪ Upcoming Conversations and Coffee meetings as follows; • Tuesday, April 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. (CDT) at Gogebic Community College located in Ironwood. • Wednesday, April 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Ishpeming Township Hall located at 1575 U.S. 41 in Ishpeming. • Thursday, April 25 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Portage Lake District Library located at 58 Huron Street in Houghton.

State Fish Hatcheries (Jan VanAmberg, Hatchery Manager) Thompson State Fish Hatchery Fish Culture:

7 of 13 ▪ Prebid meeting for the Thompson capital outlay project drew 39 contactors representing 27 companies. A record turnout for a DTMB project in the UP. General contractors (10-12) and subcontractors sent representatives from all over the UP, NLP and northern Wisconsin. ▪ Continuing discussions with DEQ regarding requirements for formaldehyde and chlorine testing following treatments. ▪ Steelhead growth still behind recent years averages but delayed planting expected due to hard winter will help with size. ▪ MSU conducted fish health inspection. Biosecurity and sanitation given high marks by Tom Loch. ▪ Chinook inventoried and number provided to ASRA for allocations and mass marking. Expect to be short of rearing assignment for Chinook although statewide we expect to be close to requested numbers. Expect to meet rearing assignment for steelhead. Received requests for walleye fry- 7 million. Maintenance: ▪ Hours spent moving snow well above average years. Running out of places to pile it up. ▪ Radio pager antennae taken out by snow sliding off roof replaced and operational. Gutter and vent piping also destroyed sliding snow. Modifications to antennae bracket were made. ▪ Began replacement of perimeter lighting to LED as recommended in 2018 Energy Audit. ▪ Purchased and received new surge protection device taken out by lightning.

Marquette State Fish Hatchery Fish Culture: ▪ Technicians completed vaccinations on the brook trout. ▪ All signs of EEDV in the production lake trout are gone. Awaiting results of fish health exam. ▪ Completed first fish stocking event of the season- Mirror Lake in the Porcupine Mt’s Wilderness Area. Management unit staff assisted hatchery staff by transporting 3,000 yearling splake into the area by snowmobile. ▪ Marquette received draft NPDES permit from DEQ containing same monitoring requirements (generally) that all recent permits have. Draft permit requires waste characterization study for formaldehyde, Chlorine, and weekly sampling for total suspended solids and phosphorus. Maintenance: ▪ Changed out UV bulbs for brood stock, received new PO for replacement bulbs for next exchange (2021).

Marquette Fisheries Research Station (Drs. Troy Zorn & Ed Baker) ▪ Research staff are working on summarizing 2018 field data, writing reports, and are preparing for the upcoming field season. ▪ The Research Vessel Lake Char is currently in winter storage, and this summer this craft will be sampling lake trout at Lake Superior’s Big Reef (north of Munising) and Isle Royale, as well as other dedicated index stations.

Forest Resources Division: Don Mankee, WUP District Supervisor ▪ Units are work on 2021 year of entry (YOE) Inventory. Open house and compartment review schedules are posted online, along with other state forest inventory information at www.michigan.gov/forestry under Public Input. ▪ Western UP (WUP) units report 44 active timber sales in the WUP totaling about 3,942 acres. Units report very low demand for sale on winter ground. With some sales only garnering one bidder with prices just over Minimum bids. ▪ Forest protection staff has been working on snowmobile program work. They have also been busy with equipment maintenance and training for the upcoming spring fire season. Spring Fire season tactics meetings were held in early March. ▪ Open enrollment for the Commercial Forest Program will continue until April 1st. For more information on the Commercial Forest Program: www.michigan.gov/commercialforest. ▪ A “Wildlife Through Forestry/Forests for Fish Forum” is scheduled for April 16th at River Rock and Banquet Center in Ishpeming starting at 5pm. For more information on the Forests for Fish program: www.forestsforfish.org. ▪ WUP units have been working of several Facility improvements including shop lighting, flooring upgrades, new doors, and a boiler replacement in Escanaba. ▪ Spring tree planting is gearing up and is expected to commence as soon as the spring thaw permits.

8 of 13 ▪ At the end of this month, Don Mankee will be retiring from the DNR after 30 years of service. Don started as a Fire Officer in 1989, moving up the ranks as a Service Forester for CFM, Forester, Baraga Unit Manager, to his current position as the FRD WUP District Supervisor. Don will be greatly missed.

Wildlife Division: Terry Minzey, Wildlife Supervisor (prepared by Monica Joseph, Wildlife Biologist) ▪ 2019 Winter Moose Survey: Every two years DNR staff and volunteers work together to fly a moose census in the western U.P. During early February, we were able to complete the survey after being able to fly only seven days in January due to inclement weather. A total 46 survey plots in the core moose range in Baraga, Iron, and Marquette Counties were flown. The probability of detecting moose while flying is about 40%, however, using a sightability model we are able to estimate the moose population. The 2017 estimate was 445 moose, and we should know the 2019 estimate by April or May.

▪ 2019 Spring Wildlife Surveys • Fawn-to-Adult Deer Survey: When spring arrives, Wildlife Division staff will begin their spring wildlife surveys. The earliest wildlife survey we run is the Fawn-to-Adult Deer Survey. This survey is designed to be a deer recruitment index. This information may be useful for projecting trends in deer populations, developing antlerless harvest recommendations, guiding habitat planning efforts, and facilitating information exchange with the public. Participants are asked to conduct surveys during the period mid-March to early May, focusing on the morning or evening hours when groups of deer would be actively feeding in open areas. Surveyors plan a route through a given survey unit that will take them past forest openings, fields, clearings, and wide road right-of- ways where deer are most visible, especially known “break out” areas adjacent to deer wintering complexes. Whenever a deer or group of deer is observed, surveyors pull off the road and use binoculars to identify individuals as fawns or adult deer, if possible.

• American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey: This survey is coordinated by the federal government and incorporates surveyors in federal and state government, university participants and volunteers. The Singing- ground Survey provides an index to the relative size of the woodcock breeding population in North America. It is the most important source of data used to guide federal, state and provincial woodcock programs. As part of their courtship behavior, male woodcock exhibit aerial and vocal displays each evening. They begin by giving calls described as "peents" shortly after sunset. From habitat types called singing-grounds, birds alternately "peent" and make flight songs. The number of woodcock peenting are counted at each stop along the transect.

▪ 2018-2019 Winter Conditions and Impacts on Deer: Staff will be monitoring the condition of deer across the UP well past break-up to determine the impacts on the herd as a result of both deep snow and below average temperatures. Deer are observed for body condition such as fat reserves along the backbone, ribs, hips and rump, puffy facial appearance of fawns and energy levels, which can often be determined by their willingness or reluctance to leave the roadways or move off when approached. When opportunities present, necropsies of dead deer will be done to determine bone marrow condition, as measure of starvation and malnutrition of wintering deer.

▪ 2019 Deer Season: Winter impacts on deer are being monitored by Wildlife staff to determine what adjustments, if any, may need to be recommended for the upcoming deer season. This is the final year of the 2017-2019 Stabilized Regulations for Deer. However, changes to antlerless quotas, open or closed status of Deer Management Units (DMUs) and potential regulations changes such as reinstatement of the use of archery equipment to harvest antlerless deer may be considered. Any potential changes in regulations due to the CWD positive index case in the UP have yet to be determined.

▪ 2019 Turkey Stakeholder’s Meeting: The UP Turkey Management Partners were scheduled to meet at the Escanaba DNR office on Wednesday, January 30th to review our most current hunting season results and regulations, discuss turkey population trends, status and habitat management efforts across the UP Region. However, that meeting had to be rescheduled due to statewide office closures due to hazardous weather. Stakeholders submitted comments and recommendations regarding the 3-year stabilized quotas and regulations for fall hunts starting with the 2019 fall season and running through 2021. The 2019 Turkey Stakeholder’s meeting will now take place in early summer. At that meeting, representatives of turkey and wildlife organizations and Wildlife Division staff will discuss the spring

9 of 13 turkey season quotas and regulations for 2020-2022. The UP region is fortunate to have a wild turkey partnership that is credited with numerous positive contributions in how we manage and hunt turkeys.

▪ DHIPI Grants: We are celebrating a decade of cooperative projects to enhance deer habitat on private lands. The Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative (DHIPI) is a cooperative grant program offered by Wildlife Division. In the last decade, Wildlife Division has invested over $630,000 of license dollars on UP deer habitat through the DHIPI program. Over 82 projects, in nearly all UP counties, have benefited thousands of acres of deer habitat. Partners have contributed over $450,000 in matching funds which have contributed to expanding the scope and impact of projects. There are 14 proposals for the 2019 DHIPI season, now in its eleventh year. The Selection Committee is currently reviewing the proposals. Final award determinations will be made by March 18th.

▪ Disease Update • WNS (White Nose Syndrome): Annual bat population survey is underway in hibernacula throughout the UP. Additionally, we are participating in several WNS bat treatment trials to help combat the impacts from WNS with university researchers. • CWD: Testing for chronic wasting disease in the UP revealed no new cases after the initial index case, in southern Dickinson County. • WNV (West Nile Virus) Grouse Surveillance Study: SCWDS, the lab doing diagnostic work for all states participating in the WNV Surveillance Study, are expecting to have preliminary results by May and final results by late summer.

Parks & Recreation Division: Doug Rich, WUP District Supervisor State Park/Recreation Area/Scenic Site/Forest Rec Units ▪ Baraga State Park: Working with CAMIS on the details of the upcoming electrical upgrade and map changes. Reservations were reopened on 2/28/19 and were very busy with CAMIS reporting over 1,000 reservations the first day. Heavy snowfalls required additional plowing and front-end loader snow moving by Baraga Field Office and roof shoveling is needed for the first time in many years. ▪ Bewabic State Park: The unit supervisor attended SAS and MDP trainings. Snow has been the theme this winter with record amounts of snow, so plowing has been difficult to keep up with. A new furnace was installed at the headquarters. Staff took the DEQ wastewater test A-1g in Marquette in February. ▪ Bond Falls Scenic Site: There have been many inquiries about winter access to the site. With the site not maintained in the winter, visitors were cautioned with recent heavy snowfalls that trails, stairs and boardwalk many not be accessible as in prior years. ▪ Craig Lake State Park: Staff checked yurt firewood and will need to refill to finish up the snow season. January yurt nights totaled 23 and February had 22. The amount of snow received in February made it difficult for visitors who planned to access the yurt via snowmobiles; we recommended snowshoes only due to the depth of snow. ▪ Fort Wilkins Historic State Park: Mini cabin and camper cabin rentals are up in attendance. Many of the weekends had either one or both cabins rented. ▪ Lake Gogebic State Park: Closed for winter. Staff are working at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. ▪ McLain State Park: Good cabin numbers this winter. This is the most snow staff have seen since 2004. ▪ Menominee State Recreation Area: Closed for winter. ▪ Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park: Winter cabin, yurt and lodge rentals have been busy. Porkies staff recruited for summer rangers at the Gogebic Community College job fair. The Ski Hill attendance has been steady, even with extreme snow and windchill events. Good attendance for the Snowburst Winter Carnival and Tele-fest Ski Day events as well. Baraga Field Office staff have been assisting with snow removal and pushing banks with heavy equipment. Staff is doing winter projects, deep cleaning and roof shoveling at interior cabins. Staff assisted with a rescue for stranded snowmobilers on the Big Iron River. Staff instructed at the winter Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) at Bay Cliff in Big Bay. Staff also assisted with the snowmobile safety day at Ontonagon and Ewen- Trout Creek Schools. Staff have been consistently grooming the xc ski/ snowshoe trails. Lantern lit ski/snowshoe trail had great attendance all eight weekends in January and February. ▪ Twin Lakes State Park: Lodge rentals have been good except for December when the area received rain and no snow. The local area also saw large number of cancellations. The park boating access site (BAS) was busy with fishermen until heavy snow closed the site. The ski trail has been slow with the huge amounts of snow and the

10 of 13 snowshoe trail has been getting weekly usage. Staff are having difficulties keeping up with the amounts of snow the area has been receiving. ▪ Van Riper State Park: The lantern lit snowshoeing event in January saw 168 people and the February event saw 105 people. The rustic Peshekee Cabin rented out a total of 15 nights in January and February. The Little Presque Isle Cabins rented out a total of 42 nights in January and 53 nights in February. Water Warrior Island (the aqua park concession) at Van Riper is gearing up for the coming season. The hope is to have them come in early May to get set up. All trails administered out of Van Riper have been very busy and all is going well. ▪ Wells State Park: Lodging (rustic and modern) rentals are up from last year. Small project money has been spent on garage doors, better internet for the office, beds rustic cabins and a dump trailer. ▪ Baraga Field Office: Pushed snow banks in parking areas and walkways with front-end loader at Baraga State Park and Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

Boating Reports (BAS = Boating Access Sites) ▪ Bewabic State Park: Bewabic received funding for a 300-gallon fuel tank, hazard tree removal, tuck pointing on historic structures and new gutters for the headquarters and campground office so staff have been working on bid packages, scheduling and specs on those projects. The Iron County Road Commission has plowed one of BAS (Lake Emily) in a poor fashion which may lead to damage to our vault toilet. We will have to wait until the snow is gone to fully inspect. ▪ Van Riper State Park: Fire officers from the Gwinn Unit assisted staff to clear trees and hanging branches from the trails at Blueberry Ridge Ski Pathway. Without their assistance, it would have taken weeks for Van Riper staff to get caught up on trail clearing and grooming. Thank you. ▪ Baraga Field Office: Plowed snow, worked on office remodel and welded skid pier parts. ▪ Cedar River State Harbor: Office renovations compete by park staff. Work consisted of installing new countertops and new cabinets for office and lounge room for boaters and staff. ▪ Copper Harbor State Harbor: Eagle Harbor State Harbor contract expansion of phase 100 to include phase 500, 600 and 700 services for marina repairs/update and is funded through the waterways capital improvement fund. Copper Harbor Marina bin wall and sea wall phase 100, 90% review is being rescheduled to spring of 2019 to allow topographic field work to be completed.

Personnel News, Vacancies/Hires, Recognition ▪ Baraga State Park: Ranger Danny Noble completed operations academy and was offered some extra hours from Rifle River Recreation Area to assist with a cabin renovation project before returning to Baraga. Ranger Nicole Pepin is now at the law academy. Ranger Ryan Brown completed his temporary assignment at Baraga assisting with Houghton Country Trails Incident FEMA documentation, along with Nicole. Both Ryan and Nicole were a tremendous asset to the FEMA grant work, their efforts were fantastic. Ryan will be missed, and we thank Tahquamenon Falls for sharing Ryan and his skill sets with the western UP. We are glad Nicole will become commissioned and will also miss her contributions to the efforts in Houghton County. ▪ Bewabic State Park: New ranger, Brittany Sides, attended the operations academy and will start March 11th. Dylan Worple returned to duty on February 25th from seasonal layoff. ▪ Fort Wilkins State Park: Interviews were performed at the Marquette DNR Office for the unit supervisor position and recommendations have been presented to Human Resources. ▪ McLain State Park: Ranger John Butala completed the operations academy in February. ▪ Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park: Ranger Michael Grzenia completed the operation academy in February. ▪ Van Riper State Park: Interviews were conducted at the Marquette DNR Office for the unit supervisor position and recommendations have been presented to Human Resources. ▪ Wells State Park: Ranger David Simula completed the operations academy in February. ▪ Escanaba Field Office: The unit supervisor, as well as one of the rangers, assisted with the operations academy in February.

Other Issues, Challenges or Items of Note ▪ Baraga State Park: Lots of snow removal—this is the most snow that current staff can recall at the park! Hiring is difficult—we have had no responses to our short-term worker job posting that has been out for three weeks.

11 of 13 ▪ Van Riper and Craig Lake State Parks: Snow is piling up everywhere and there have been large amounts of staff time put towards snow removal. ▪ Fort Wilkins Historic State Park: The lead ranger has spent most of the winter plowing parking areas. To date, we have had 245 inches of snowfall with 39 inches currently on the ground. The blizzard last week has left many of our buildings with 3-5 feet of snow on the roofs. This week, two rangers will be returning earlier than scheduled to help out with snow removal and spring projects. ▪ Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park: The 2011 one-ton plow truck has had numerous break downs and spent more time in the shop than on the road. We've borrowed plows from Baraga Forest Resources, Baraga Field Office and Escanaba Field Office. A new plow truck has been ordered. Three 1992-era furnaces have failed and needed to be replaced. ▪ Twin Lakes State Park: Forest Resources Division assisted in shoveling the field office roof on March 7th. In late February, a group of local parks personnel also reported to Twin Lakes to assist in shoveling the toilet building and lodge roof after heavy snowfall events.

Multi-Use Trails ▪ Houghton County Trails: The DNR has completed FEMA grant submissions on the five affected trails in Houghton County. 2019 Houghton County trail planning is ongoing. ▪ Twin Lakes State Park: Met with both ORV and snowmobile trail groups over the course of the winter. Both groups have combined projects for the next construction season.

ORV Trails ▪ Spring ORV Kick-Off Meetings: The western UP meeting will be at the Konteka in White Pine on Arpil 23rd and the central UP meeting will be on April 24th at a TBD location. ▪ Twin Lakes State Park: Met with MI-TRALE on the June Sport Ride and planning will start next month; ride destinations have not been set yet.

Snowmobile Trails ▪ Season Report: Good snow in all areas of the UP have given excellent trail conditions. Equipment breakdowns have been common in most areas and clubs have worked together to keep the trails in great shape. Houghton and Keweenaw Counties have seveal special events coming up including the MTU clean snowmobile challenge and the Copper Dog. ▪ Baraga State Park: There has been steady use of the snowmobile trail through the park and good use of the staging area. ▪ Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park: M-107 & South Boundary Road opened as snowmobile trails on December 1st. Good numbers of snowmobile visitors are riding the trail up to Lake of the Clouds and trail conditions have been fair to good. ▪ Twin Lakes State Park: Meet with trail group each month. ▪ Van Riper State Park: Ranger Brian Krease has been tasked as the unit contact for the UP Central Club. He has been completing inspections and all associated paperwork and has been working with the club to get all issues resolved.

Equestrian Trails ▪ Twin Lakes State Park: No work over winter.

Pathways ▪ Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park: XC ski and snowshoe trails have been regularly groomed and the grooming equipment has been working well. ▪ Van Riper State Park: Blueberry Ridge Ski Pathway has been very busy and Ranger Matena Coron has been doing her best to keep trails groomed and in tip top shape for visitors. ▪ Wells State Park: Use for the XC ski trails are up this year from last due to the amount of snow received. ▪ Escanaba Field Office: The Days River Pathway has been regularly groomed by either DNR staff or local volunteers. Use is heavy compared to previous seasons and continues to increase. Heavy snow for the area has led to great trail conditions. Anderson Lake Pathway has been regularly groomed by DNR staff and has been in good condition. Heavy snows have contributed to trail conditions.

12 of 13

Planning Report ▪ Baraga State Park: Upgrades to the campground electrical and wet well has received design funding. A design contract has been awarded to UPEA and design is 95% complete. $1,200,000 has been awarded for construction in 2019. ▪ Bergland Boating Access Site: Parking lot, dock, and ADA site improvements were completed August 1, 2016. Additional asphalt paving and site lighting improvements were proposed for the fall of 2017 or spring/early summer of 2018. The project has been bid out. Payne and Dolan have been awarded a contract for construction. Construction began September 9, 2018 and the sight lighting improvements are complete. Asphalt paving improvements have been delayed until 2019 due to an operator engineers labor dispute. ▪ Bewabic State Park: A bid package is being put together for stone work (chinking) on historic structures. Project is funded. Materials have been purchased for construction of a 10'X18' lean-to at Bewabic headquarters for cold storage. Project will commence in spring 2019. ▪ Copper Harbor: Design of masonry repairs to the Copper Harbor historic lighthouse and light keepers’ residence are underway. $50,000.00 allocated. Design is 95% complete. $200,000 in construction funding has been provided for construction in 2019. ▪ Eagle Harbor: Engineering and analysis of the State Harbor at Eagle Harbor is proposed. Improvements to the site utilities, mooring facility, and harbor master building are being considered. A design contract was awarded to Edgewater Resources. The data collection of existing site conditions is underway. The analysis of potential of design improvements is 100% complete. A total of $625,000 has been allocated for design and construction. ▪ McLain State Park: Phase 1 design and construction is 100%. Phase 1 included a new toilet shower building, a new campground loop with 20 modern campsites (20/30/ and some 50-amp electric) and a new campground circulation road. ▪ McLain State Park: Phase 2 design is 100% complete and began construction on August 1, 2018. Phase 2 includes a new entrance road and contact station, 16 modern campsites, and a renovated day use and beach area on the west end of the park. Construction is approximately 35% complete. Construction is proposed to be completed by June 28, 2019. ▪ Oman Creek Boating Access Site: Long range planning: $170,000.00 has been awarded for the design of a groin. The groin design will be informed by a littoral drift study. OHM Advisors has been awarded a contract for design. The analysis of coastal processes is underway. The analysis of proposed design improvements is 100% complete. Two groin alternatives were considered at a public input session held on July 24, 2018. The public input demonstrated support of investing in groin alternative #1. The DNR has selected groin alternative #1 and is proceeding with the development of plans and specifications for bidding. $1,000,000 has been allocated for construction of a groin. Design is proposed to be completed June 28, 2019. Construction is proposed for 2020. ▪ Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park: Held the third meeting for the general management plan and scheduled the stakeholders input session for April in Ontonagon. ▪ Van Riper State Park: Upgrades to the water treatment plant and water supply systems - $175,000.00 has been allocated for design and construction. Design is 100% complete. The project is now under construction. Construction is 95% complete. ▪ Van Riper State Park: Grant applications have been submitted for repair/replacement of the river trail overlook stairway and the Harlow Lake ADA fishing pier, both at Van Riper State Park and the Little Presque Isle Tract in Marquette County.

Public Information Office: John Pepin, Deputy Public Information Officer ▪ Administration of the U.P. DNR Twitter feed has recently been transferred from Lansing to my desk in Marquette. I will be working with Kristi Dahlstrom and Jo Ann Alexander to begin consistent updates to the feed by the end of March. Send any relevant items for Twitter on programs, events, photos, activities to me for posting at [email protected].

▪ “Ask the DNR” returns to WNMU-TV13 at 8 p.m. EDT on April 11 and May 16 to complete the final installments of the 2018-2019 broadcast season.

13 of 13