Western Upper Peninsula Citizens Advisory
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Western Upper Peninsula Citizen Advisory Council DNR Division Reports Date of Production: July 2018 This documentation is provided by Michigan DNR staff as a supplement to verbal reports that will be distributed to the Western UPCAC at the July 17, 2018 meeting in Houghton, MI. Upper Peninsula Regional Coordinator Update – Stacy Haughey, UP Regional Coordinator DNR Public Meetings July 10 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting, Raber Area Sportsmen’s Club-Goetzville, 6:00pm July 11 Forestry Compartment Review-Baraga Unit, DNR Office-Baraga, 9:00am July 12 Natural Resources Commission Meeting, Lansing July 17 Western UP Citizen’s Advisory Council Meeting, Michigan Tech University-Houghton, 5:30pm July 24 Pilgrim River Forest/Forest Legacy Project Ceremony, Houghton Area, 11:00am August 1 Eastern UP Citizen’s Advisory Council Meeting, LMAS Health Dept-Newberry, 6:00pm August 9 Natural Resources Commission Meeting, Lansing August 15 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board Meeting, Escanaba, 9:00am August 15 Forestry Open House-Escanaba Unit, DNR Office-Stephenson, 3:00pm CDT August 23 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting, DNR Office-Shingleton, 6:00pm August 28 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting, DNR Office-Crystal Falls, 6:00pm CDT U.P. State Park & State Sponsored Activities July 10 Michigan Iron Industry Museum-Remembering the Barnes-Hecker Tragedy July 13 Michigan Iron Industry Museum-Iron Ore Heritage Trail Bike Tour July 14 Baraga State Park-Kayaking 101 and 102 July 17 Michigan Iron Industry Museum-Michigan Wolves: Myths vs. Facts July 20 Michigan Iron Industry Museum-Iron Ore Heritage Trail Bike Tour July 20 Indian Lake State Park-Bob Hausler, Musician July 22 Fort Wilkins Historic State Park-Eagle Harbor Life Saving Station Open House July 22 Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Sate Park-UP Stepping Stone in Stained Glass July 24 Michigan Iron Industry Museum-The Immigrant Experience in the UP July 26 Straits Stat Park-NWTF Intro to Turkey Hunting Clinic July 27 Fort Wilkins Historic State Park-Battery D Michigan Light Artillery Living History Civil War Encampment July 27 Michigan Iron Industry Museum-Iron Ore Heritage Trail Bike Tour July 27 Indian Lake State Park-NWTF Intro to Turkey Hunting Clinic July 27 Baraga State Park-Christmas in July July 27 Wells State Park-Christmas in July July 28 Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Sate Park-Stitching and Dyeing the Shibori Way July 28 Palms Book State Park-Family Fun Day July 31 Michigan Iron Industry Museum-Yooper Talk: Dialect as Identity in Michigan’s UP August 13-19 DNR Pocket Park Open during the UP State Fair-PLEASE CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING! 1 of 16 Season Dates & Reminders July 1 May apply for fall turkey hunts July 8 Dog training opens; may also use dogs for night hunting (see p. 48) July 15 May apply for an antlerless deer license ▪ Can also apply for reserved deer hunts ▪ Youth 10-16 may purchase one junior antlerless license, over the counter July 15 Opener for turtle seasons (snappers and softshells) August 1 Crow season re-opens (open dates are 8/1 – 9/30 and 2/1 – 3/31) August 1 Deadline for fall turkey applications August 1 May apply for reserved waterfowl hunts August 1 Hunting & Trapping Digests available at license agents August 1 Hook & lure size/weight restrictions begin on all streams (through 5/31, see p. 11) August 10 May place bear blinds in Zone 1 and may place bear baits in Zone 1 August 13 Fall turkey drawing results posted on website August 15 Deadline for antlerless deer applications (also reserved deer hunts) August 17 May place bear blinds in Zone 2 (see Bear Digest for baiting dates) August 20 Leftover turkey licenses on sale (for unsuccessful applicants, others on 8/27) August 28 Deadline to apply for reserved waterfowl Recent DNR Press Releases For full details, go to: www.michigan.gov/dnrpressroom ▪ Fish webcam, CO recruit school, Natural Resources Commission meeting & more (7/9/18) ▪ Showcasing the DNR: Get a behind-the-scenes look at park search and rescue (7/5/18) ▪ Weekly fishing tips, bear plan update and invasive species help (7/2/18) ▪ Turkey hunting update – spring and fall seasons (6/29/18) ▪ Enbridge submits final three Line 5 reports to state of Michigan (6/29/18) ▪ Invasive species outreach events at boat launches June 30-July 8 (6/28/18) ▪ Showcasing the DNR: Take a trip t the past with “Future Historians” (6/28/18) ▪ State park volunteer opportunities, input on state forests (6/27/18) ▪ Results of 2018 elk and bear hunt drawings now available (6/26/18) ▪ Cleveland-Cliffs dam project to affect Deer Lake near Ishpeming (6/22/18) ▪ Fur harvesting update (6/22/18) ▪ Showcasing the DNR: Michigan Upper Peninsula state park weddings (6/21/18) ▪ First case of chronic wasting disease suspected in Jackson County (6/21/18) ▪ Lily Pond public access site closed because of storm damage (6/17/18) ▪ Fall construction closures to affect reservations at F.J. McLain State Park in Houghton County (6/15/18) ▪ Construction work to continue through summer at Laughing Whitefish Falls in Alger County (6/15/18) ▪ Winter survey shows healthy Michigan wolf population (6/14/18) Grant Contacts For other 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] 2 of 16 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 EUPCAC met on June 6th at Little Bear Arena in St. Ignace. A presentation by DNR’s Jason Fleming on the firewood movement update was provided on behalf of the Firewood Movement Subcommittee. Updates were provided on cormorants, CWD communication, UP public road inventory public comment options, and invasive carp. The DNR’s new forest health specialist Simeon Wright introduced himself and gave a brief update on the latest forest health issues in the state. A new muskie registration and call-in system was also described. The next meeting of the EUPCAC will be on August 1st in Newberry. July 2018 NRC Meeting Summary – Ed Golder, Public Information Officer The Natural Resources Commission met in Lansing on July 12th. Major actions: • The Commission approved Antlerless Deer License Quotas. The commission discussed adding antlerless licenses in Upper Peninsula Deer Management Units in Iron, Dickinson, and Menominee counties. However, the commission decided against those additional licenses because there was not enough time for the public to review and comment. • Director Keith Creagh approved the sale of less than a half-acre of DNR-managed public land in Ogemaw County. The first meeting of the day was of the Marketing, Partnership, Youth and Outreach Advisory Committee. Marketing and Outreach Chief Kristin Phillips told the committee about the Pathways program, which allows students to learn about careers in natural resources. Among other things, the program helps the DNR develop a more diverse pool of candidates for future employment around natural resources. Kristin told the committee about the Marketing and Outreach Division and Public Information Office 2017 Accomplishments Report. Among the highlights: last year we had 500,000 people come through our visitor centers, a 23 percent increase over 2016; 110,000 people participated in our education programs, up 9 percent from 2016; we reached 1.2 million email subscribers, up 15 percent over the previous year. Our call center received and answered 24,000 phone calls, about 5,500 per staff member. We had more than 98 million social media impressions. We helped prepare and distribute over 600 communications, including weekly “Showcasing the DNR” feature stories that offer an in-depth look on the department’s work and Michigan’s natural resources. This year 12 convention and visitor bureaus partnered with the department to promote outdoor recreation deals and discounts, Kristin said. The Michigan Wildlife Council is continuing its mission -- through sophisticated digital marketing efforts -- of informing the public about the critical role hunting, trapping and fishing play in conservation. Ami VanAntwerp of the Marketing and Outreach Division talked about the Parks and Recreation Division’s celebration of its centennial, which will occur next year. The goals of the campaign are to raise $510,000 and increase awareness of state parks. The plan is to tell the story of state parks through the people who visit them, encourage people to share their stories and solicit donations throughout the centennial year. A possible tag line for the campaign is: “Look back; give forward.” Nick Dohm of the Forest Resources Division talked about the Department’s drone program, developed in consultation with multiple divisions and now operated by FRD. The department has identified four pilots for the unmanned aircraft systems and has instituted a training regimen for the pilots, who are dispersed regionally around the state. Some potential uses for drones: forest fire and prescribed burn monitoring; thermal imaging; marketing; habitat evaluation; emergency response; law enforcement; coastal erosion monitoring; forest pest monitoring and mapping. Tom Weston of Marketing and Outreach Division talked about the department’s ongoing partnership with the Wardens show on the Outdoor Channel. We signed a contract in 2017 with the Outdoor Channel to highlight the work of our conservation officers and the work of our other divisions. The result is a wholistic picture of not only natural resource enforcement but natural resource management. Some 30 episodes have been produced.