Tariff would be on top of the Department of Commerce aluminum sheet tariff NMMA has been fighting

President Trump has announced that he decided to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum–a tariff that is separate from the Department of Commerce anti-dumping and countervailing investigation on common alloy aluminum sheet from China that NMMA has been fighting.

In his announcement, the President determined he would place a tariff of 25 percent on foreign-made steel and 10 percent on aluminum. This decision was made based on the statutory authority of Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to conduct comprehensive investigations to determine the effects of imports on the national security of the U.S. Based on this investigation, the Secretary of Commerce will make recommendations to the President on how to address any potential issues, however, the final decision is made by the President.

In response to the announcement from the White House, NMMA President Thom Dammrich said, “Today’s decision by the Administration to implement new tariffs severely harms the $37 billion U.S. recreational boating industry and the 650,000 American workers it supports. While these tariffs are meant to protect American manufacturing, they do just the opposite. U.S. manufacturers, like those in our industry, which use American-made aluminum, depend on a competitive global market and fair pricing. What’s more, U.S. aluminum manufacturers are at capacity and unable to supply the wide-width aluminum sheet used by our members, forcing them to seek it overseas.” Read more

Creedmoor® is always looking to expand their namesake line of precision rifle equipment and gear and are looking to their customers for ideas.

Anniston, Ala.   – Creedmoor® Sports, the leader in precision rifle equipment and gear, is looking to their customer base for the next great Creedmoor Sports product. Creedmoor products are designed and produced several ways; first, by evolving an older product to meet today’s shooters needs; second, as a company by and for shooters, many ideas are born internally; and third, many of Creedmoor’s greatest ideas come from shooters who are out using products every day and know how to make it better. Creedmoor Sports wants to hear from you. Read more

Browning Camping is proud to release the Refuge, a new sleeping bag that offers campsite comfort and versatility. The mummy-shaped bag, offers top-of-the-line features that Browning Camping’s customers expect. A center zipper can be zipped from the bottom for additional venting, and TechLoft Gold insulation ensures warmth (the Refuge comes in two temperature grades +15-degrees and -10-degrees). The durable separating zippers glide smoothly, and the outer fabric is nylon ripstop. What makes the Refuge stand out are the zippered armholes that allow venting, or the freedom to drink your warm beverage of choice without leaving the warmth of your sleeping bag. Read more

Mining company plans modified, scaled-down winter exploratory drilling program

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has issued a use permit to Copperwood Resources Inc. – a subsidiary of Highland Copper – to resume its winter exploration of a 1-mile section of the westernmost portion of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.

Work is being done in this part of Gogebic County to see if the eastern extension of a mineral deposit first explored in the 1950s might feasibly be mined, which would enlarge the mining company’s Copperwood Project beyond its currently-permitted boundaries.

Drilling and testing will determine hydrologic and geologic composition of the bedrock beneath the surface. Work on these sites is scheduled to be completed over the next month and a half.

“This use permit will allow Copperwood Resources to resume work begun last winter at the park,” said Doug Rich, western U.P. district supervisor for the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division. “However, this winter’s exploration will be scaled back from the mining company’s original plans.” Read more

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers increased snowmobile patrols during the 50th running of the International 500 Snowmobile Race this past weekend in Sault Ste. Marie.

Law enforcement officers patrol the area around the race each year to help provide a safe and fun experience for all.

Enhanced patrols began Thursday in Chippewa County with the attempted Guinness World record snowmobile parade, associated with the race, which included over 900 participants. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

A most popular bird across the northern United States and southern Canada is the black-capped chickadee. Weighing a scant one-half ounce, its acrobatic behavior and friendly demeanor make it one of the favorites at feeders everywhere.

black-capped chickadee

These tough little critters don’t migrate and when Mother Nature bears down on us all with sub-zero temperatures, mere survival is a testament to their fortitude. Imagine going to bed and waking to find that you’ve lost 70 percent of your body weight; waking up would be miracle enough!

But, the little chickadee is up at the crack of dawn in search of some food that it can turn into energy. However, unlike blue jays and mourning doves, for example, the chickadee does not fill its craw with seed and carry it away. Rather, it can be seen taking a single sunflower seed and darting off. One begins to wonder just how much energy is burned up navigating the air space back and forth and if all the work is worth the effort.

They’ll eat as much as 20 times more food in the winter than in the summertime. Accordingly, providing various forms of feed such as seeds, suet, peanut butter, and mealworms may be just what keeps them going. Supplemental feeding can more than double the survival rate of the feathered foragers from 32 to 69 percent.

My daily routine includes a trip to a galvanized trash can turned seed-storage container each morning. There, the lid is removed and a scoop of seed is taken to refill feed stations. My feathered friends begin to gather in the overhead branches of conifers, as the can’s contents are exposed to the peering eyes of inquisitive onlookers. Before I return with the empty scoop, the little creatures are helping themselves right from the open can.

If they are not present, a little whistling seems to elicit a response for them to come near. Although I’ve hand-fed them at times, most of them will wait for me to back away a few feet before they fly in for some fast food.

At times, they seem oblivious to humans. I’ve had them land on my boots, while deer hunting but one particular experience always comes to mind, while recalling their fearless antics.

Deer hunting in Charlevoix County, I spotted a whitetail buck among a stand of pines, but had only seen it for an instant before it vanished into cover. Within a minute or so, a hunting partner emerged from the same trees and I got his attention in an attempt to alert him to what I had seen. With my fingers stretched apart to imitate antlers, I placed both hands on my head to signify that I had spotted a buck. I dared not speak so as not to frighten the hidden deer and pointed to where I had seen the legal buck. My hunting partner pulled his rifle to the ready position, when a chickadee found a perfect perch on which to land: the muzzle of the gun’s barrel completely blocking the front sight. The hopeful hunter gave the gun a few quick shakes, but the bird held tight. There was nothing we could do but laugh.

If there’s a youngster in your midst, introducing him or her to the wonders of wildlife can be facilitated through these cooperative creatures – and, you can leave the binoculars home.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could determine whether or not states can collect sales tax on remote sales.

Last year, the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled that a 2016 law requiring out-of-state internet retailers to collect sales tax violates a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said retailers are not required to collect sales tax in states where they do not have a physical presence.

The state appealed the decision and the case now moves to the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice Anthony Kennedy has suggested that, given the recent growth of internet sales, it is time for the Supreme Court to revisit the 1992 decision. Read more