Latest news with #MichiganDNR
CBS News
18 hours ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Trail repairs continue at Sterling State Park, one fishing pier now is closed
Another section of Sterling State Park in Monroe County has been closed off as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources continues a series of trail and parking area repairs. The trail closings this season are restricting much of the area around Hunt Club Marsh, North Lagoon and South Lagoon that are popular for running, bicycling, bird watching and dog walking. The work includes shoreline stabilization, erosion control, tree root removal and bridge repairs. The goal is to reopen that area in mid-August. The trails that remain open are along the beach, campground and boat launch sections of the park near Lake Erie. "While significant progress has been made, there's still more to do," the park posted on social media Saturday. The new closings that started Tuesday include the Trailhead Parking Lot and the south fishing pier. Contractors are now working on the replacement of the fishing pier area near that parking lot. The north fishing pier will remain open, but anglers will need to park at the beach parking lot and then walk over, the park said. Sterling State Park is near Monroe in Frenchtown Township, east of Interstate 75's Exit 15.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Seeing turkeys in Northern Michigan? The DNR would like to know. How to report sightings
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it needs the public's help tracking turkeys across the state this summer. Now through Aug. 31, the DNR is conducting its annual wild turkey brood survey during which officials are asking people to report sightings of wild turkeys and turkey broods (hens with their young). "By taking just a few minutes to report any turkeys you see, you'll be contributing valuable data to track the health of the state's turkey population," the DNR said in a release. Now in its third year, Michigan's wild turkey brood survey is part of a multistate initiative to monitor turkey populations, the DNR said. The survey is part of a larger conservation effort to identify regional trends in turkey populations and address potential declines seen in other parts of the country. Wild turkeys were near extinction in Michigan in the early 20th century, but now found in every county across the state, the DNR said. 'This bird's comeback is something to celebrate, and now we need the public's help to keep tabs on our turkeys going forward,' said Adam Bump, the DNR's upland game bird specialist. More: Isle Royale creel survey underway. How you can help track fish in Lake Superior Wild turkeys are found in all 68 counties of the Lower Peninsula and most counties in the Upper Peninsula, where the species has continued to expand its range. In 1977, only 400 turkeys were taken during the Michigan hunting season. However, by 2014, annual numbers of turkeys taken had reached 30,000 birds. Michigan is now ranked eighth in the nation for the number of turkeys taken by hunters. State officials say this midseason period is when turkey broods are most visible and when you're most likely to see them. The DNR says if you do come across birds crossing the street with poults (or chicks) or foraging in fields, officials want to know about it. Since the turkey brood survey began in 2023, Michiganders have submitted more than 11,500 reports, tallying over 25,000 hens, 65,000 poults and 11,000 males. Here's what to know in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, and how to take part. In Michigan, turkeys can be found in most counties throughout the Lower Peninsula and in some parts of the Upper Peninsula. Egg laying begins in April, and each hen will lay a clutch of 11 to 12 eggs over a two-week period. Whenthe clutch is complete, the hen will incubate her eggs for 28 days. Peak hatching occurs in June in southern Michigan; two to three weeks later in northern Michigan. Turkey foods fall into four main categories: mast (nuts and fruits), seeds, greens, and insects. In winter they prefer hard and soft mast, including acorns, beechnuts, crabapples and hawthorns. They will also eat waste grains in harvested fields of corn, buckwheat, soybeans, oats and grain sorghum. Turkeys foraging in agricultural areas in the fall and spring eat mostly waste grains, wild plants, insects, and young grasses. Corn, buckwheat and wheat are sources of fall, winter, and spring foods. In Michigan, the ideal habitat mix is 20% to 30% bottomland hardwoods, 10% to 30% mature oaks, 5% to 10% conifers, 10% to 15% shrubs, 20% to 30% croplands and 15% to 25% grasslands, clover pastures or idled fields. Michiganders can reporting wild turkey sightings from until Aug. 31, using the online turkey brood survey form. The survey asks short questions about what observers saw. The form asks to note the number of hens (adult females), poults (juvenile turkeys) and gobblers or jakes (adult or young males) in each sighting, as well as the date and location. Officials say it takes only a minute or two to complete a report. According to the Michigan DNR some facts about wild turkeys include: They can reach speeds of up to 55 mph in flight and run 15 to 18 mph. A group of turkeys is called a 'rafter.' Flocks can range from 5 to 50 birds and usually consist of only males or females. Male turkeys puff out their feathers and fan their tails to attract females. Male turkeys have spurs on their legs that get longer as they age. Spurs are used to grapple with other turkeys over breeding rights. Be cautious when driving as wild turkeys crossing the road may cause accidents; they are usually seen in larger flocks in January. Turkeys may become aggressive and territorial if comfortable in suburban areas. Avoid feeding them and remove all food surrounding your house. Contact local wildlife biologists or nuisance wildlife control companies if there is an aggressive turkey in your area. Make loud noises to scare them away. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan DNR conducting summer turkey survey: How to report sightings
CBS News
01-07-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Michigan parks and campgrounds have reopened for holiday weekend, following spring ice storms
If you plan on heading to the state parks or forests up North for this Fourth of July holiday weekend, be mindful of lingering hazards and damage from the March ice storm. All the state parks and boating access sites that closed due to the storm have reopened, and all state forest campgrounds are expected to be open this weekend. The March 28-30 storm led to 19 state parks, 54 state forest campgrounds, and 162 boating access sites closing. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources staff have spent thousands of hours cleaning the area since. The North Western State Trail, North Central State Trail, and North Eastern State Trail have been cleared to open. However, the DNR asks that visitors please respect closure signs, as about 60% of the region is still closed. Parts of the forest suffered severe and permanent damage, appearing different from before the storm. Tree branches are hanging, tree stumps are sticking out the ground, and over a thousand roads are impassable. You can find a map and dashboard detailing the status — open, partially open or temporarily closed — of the state-managed facilities, trails and forest roads, as well as an interactive map and safety updates, all on the Michigan DNR's ice storm response page.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Get rid of these insane violations': Ted Nugent tells DNR at Michigan Capitol
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Rock musician and Michigan native Ted Nugent testified in Michigan's Capitol earlier today about the 'need for accountability at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.' Nugent spoke to the Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development and Natural Resources, and the Oversight Subcommittee on Weaponization of State Government. 'I want to set the table clear, there are some people in this room here that are stupid enough to listen to the lying anti-hunting media, that have lied and falsely accused me of violations. I abide by the law,' said Nugent. 'Before I go deer hunting, I buy a deer license. I examine where I can deer hunt and with what weapon. My dad raised me with the discipline of conservation, marksmanship, safe gun handling, and the perfection of venison as the healthiest diet in the world,' added Nugent. Nugent went on to call Michigan the 'laughing stock of the nation,' saying that families often come up to him with horror stories of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issuing unjustified tickets. Nugent goes on to highlight his , which promotes the 'healing powers of nature, the natural highs and stimuli of an outdoor lifestyle, and the definitive discipline of the 'aim small, miss small' mystical flight of the arrow for a higher level of awareness and ultimate quality of life.' Nugent claims that the DNR and the Natural Resource Commission (NRC) have violated their 'moral duty,' calling the organizations' wildlife management practices 'insane.' 'When I started hunting, some man thought he had control over whether I hunted out of a tree or not. Is that man in attendance here that has control over my tree climbing? No man has control over my tree climbing,' said Nugent. He claims that his advocacy helped remove this law. He also disputes the law in several counties across that state that hunting is illegal on Sunday. 'Who is the man that can intervene between God's nature and my recreational sporting spirit connection to the good earth?' He claims that his advocacy helped remove this law as well. 'I beg you, on behalf of the good people that come up to me every day, get rid of these insane violations,' said Nugent. Nugent claims that the DNR and NRC have 'chased families out of the sport over absolutely insane anti-nature, anti-science regulations.' In his closing statement, Nugent calls the DNR and NRC 'the enemies of conservation in Michigan. I implore you, in the once great state of Michigan, the once number one hunting state in the nation. Let's return it to that responsible, conservation, wise-use ethic. Other speakers expressed their concerns regarding current DNR and NRC polices. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
6 West Michigan communities awarded DNR grants for tree projects
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced 15 grants totaling more than $1 million to help communities across the state develop their tree canopies. Michigan DNR halts program to euthanize Canada geese 'Trees are vital community infrastructure, and this grant program supports projects that bring the important benefits trees provide to more Michigan communities,' Kerry Gray, a grant specialist with the DNR's Urban and Community Forestry Program, . In all, the grants are expected to plant more than 1,700 new trees, offer 33 training workshops and develop plans to manage more than 32,000 public trees. The grants range between approximately $23,000 and $144,000. Of those grants, six of them are in West Michigan. DNR focuses on long-term health of forests damaged by ice storm Crystal Township in Montcalm County is getting one of the largest: $133,112 to complete a public tree inventory and management plan for future tree planting and maintenance. The township also has plans to develop a community orchard. The village of Lakeview will receive $95,172 to help cover tree planting along streets and in parks. The city of Battle Creek will receive $38,850 for tree planting and maintenance. The will get $36,993 to develop a 'series of tree-planting and care workshops for municipal employees, residents and landscape contractors within the Lower Grand River Watershed.' Spongy moth population dropping, not gone in Michigan The city of Ionia will receive $30,000 for planting trees in neighborhoods with 'low tree canopy cover.' The will get $23,438 to create 'food forests' in the city of Muskegon and start outreach for the program. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
