DNR reports moose survey results to Michigan Natural Resources Commission

After this winter’s moose survey, wildlife biologists said the western Upper Peninsula moose population is growing at a long-term average of about 2 percent each year, with an estimated 509 animals living in that part of the state.

Michigan Natural Resources Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason reported the survey results Thursday to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission at a regular NRC meeting at the Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire.

“The growth rate for this moose population is low, but remains positive,” Mason said. “Moose are continuing to maintain a foothold in the western Upper Peninsula, continuing to further extend the lineage of a population airlifted to the area from Canada in the mid-1980s.” Read more

Except within its chronic wasting disease surveillance areas, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has agreed to issue supplemental deer feeding permits in the southern part of the Upper Peninsula.

The action comes with average U.P. snow depths measured across the region nearly double that of a 15-year average for late February and March.

Feeding deer large quantities of food to supplement natural winter food resources – termed “supplemental feeding” – is allowed by permit in the northern U.P. counties beginning in January each year.

This type of feeding differs from “recreational feeding,” which is limited daily to 2 gallons of feed, placed within sight of a home or camp. Recreational feeding is allowed year-round across the U.P.

In southern U.P. counties – which typically exhibit milder winter weather conditions – free permits are issued for supplemental feeding dependent on weather conditions.

“The DNR uses total accumulated snow as an index of the severity of the winter,” said Terry Minzey, DNR U.P. regional wildlife supervisor. “In typical winters, impacts to the deer herd in the southern part of the region, based on snow accumulation measurements, can be forecasted by mid-January.” Read more

Students ready for an intensive, inspiring four days immersed in natural resources learning are encouraged to submit their applications for this year’s Career Pathways Program, June 23-27 at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on beautiful Higgins Lake in Roscommon County. Program highlights include hands-on field experiences with wildlife and fish biologists, foresters, park rangers and conservation officers.

DNR education manager Kevin Frailey oversees the program, now in its second year. “Over the course of a year, our department gets hundreds of inquiries from parents and students about natural resources careers,” he said. “We wanted to create a sampler of many of our key positions and let students learn about these unique career paths from the professionals themselves.” Read more

If you or someone you know is seeking valuable experience working in wildlife conservation – or just an interesting job that gets you outdoors – consider applying for one of more than 200 summer and fall positions with the DNR Wildlife Division.

The division regularly hires additional staff to work these seasons at DNR state field offices, customer service centers and state game areas. Seasonal staff helps in several areas, such as:

• Assisting with wildlife habitat maintenance and improvement, which may include cutting clearings and adjusting water levels.
• Mowing, landscaping and facility maintenance duties.
• Handling tasks related to wildlife surveys, nuisance animal control and equipment maintenance.
• Collecting biological data and samples for wildlife disease monitoring.
• Assisting hunters at DNR deer check stations.

“These positions are perfect for college students, those looking to re-enter the workforce, and seniors or retirees who want to be involved in the outdoors,” said Jennifer Schafer, Wildlife Division’s human resources liaison. Read more

The application period is open for the fifth round of grant funding for work along Michigan’s Iron Belle Trail. Proposals are due March 15, with selected grant recipients announced in May.

The trail offers two distinct routes for hiking and bicycling that, together, when finished, will cover more than 2,000 miles of trail. Right now, the trail is roughly 70 percent completed.

DNR state trails coordinator Paul Yauk said this latest round of funding will focus on segments ready to go into construction this year or next, as well as project engineering and design, and the purchase of Iron Belle Trail signage.

“The Iron Belle Trail is Michigan’s ‘showcase trail’ – an outdoor recreation gem that takes trail users through many amazing places along both routes,” Yauk said. “These mini-grants go a long way toward bringing together the people and resources critical to completing each new mile of trail.” Read more

WASHINGTON – The American Farm Bureau Federation, along with the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, the state of Utah and San Juan County (Utah), last week filed a brief in support of President Donald Trump’s December 2017 proclamations decreasing the size of the Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument and the Bears Ears National Monument.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the brief backs the federal government’s request to dismiss a series of consolidated cases filed against President Trump’s declarations.

The brief explains how changes made by the proclamations will protect ranchers’ livelihoods by enhancing their ability to graze livestock in and around the monuments. “Plaintiffs’ claims, if granted, would significantly jeopardize the Farm Bureaus’ members who ranch in the area under the authority of multiple federal laws and regulations, just as their ancestors have done for generations over the last 150 years,” the groups wrote.

They emphasized that, contrary to the plaintiffs’ assertions, President Trump was authorized to take such action under the Antiquities Act and that presidents before him had made similar modifications to national monuments on at least 18 separate occasions.

“The Act does not contain any limitations to a President’s ability to modify the area of land reserved for an existing monument should it be determined that the area reserved is not consistent with the Antiquities Act’s limited reservation authority.”

Indeed, there is no legal precedent for limiting Trump’s authority to make such modifications. Instead, the Supreme Court, federal circuit courts and federal district courts have uniformly supported broad presidential authority under the Antiquities Act, the groups wrote in the brief.

Nor has Congress ever passed a law in response to a presidential declaration modifying a national monument. In fact, the two times in which Congress has responded to a national monument proclamation both related to the establishment of national monuments, not modifications to already established monuments.
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The Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ citizen-based northern Lower Peninsula wolf survey, to detect the presence of gray wolves in the region, will take place Feb. 19 through March 15.

“The probability of DNR personnel observing an actual wolf or its tracks in the northern Lower Peninsula is very low,” said DNR wildlife biologist Jennifer Kleitch. “It’s helpful to have as many eyes as possible looking, so public reports are important for this survey.”

Wolves began naturally returning to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula through Canada and Wisconsin in the early 1990s. Since that time, the population has increased and now occupies suitable habitat throughout the U.P. While the Straits of Mackinac is not an absolute barrier for wolves moving from the U.P. to the northern Lower Peninsula, it is a significant obstacle, especially when there is not complete ice cover.

The first observation of a gray wolf in the northern Lower Peninsula in recent times was in 2004, when a wolf was accidently killed in Presque Isle County. In 2014, the presence of a gray wolf was identified through genetic analysis of a scat sample collected in Emmet County. The DNR would like to gather further information to determine wolf presence in the northern Lower Peninsula.

If you see a wolf or wolf sign between Feb. 19 and March 15, please call the DNR Atlanta Field Office at 989-785-4251, ext. 5233 or report sightings online through Eyes in the Field, found at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField.

Reports will be recorded and potentially investigated if recent sign is present. Priority will be placed on reports north of M-55.

“It’s important that observations are reported in a timely manner so we can work with fresh sign. Those who find what they believe are wolf tracks should preserve the physical sign and take a photo of the tracks with a ruler in the frame to indicate size,” Kleitch said. “We’d also be very interested in any recent pictures of a wolf in the Northern Lower Peninsula.”

Information on wolves in Michigan and links to other wolf-related web pages can be found at Michigan.gov/Wolves.

This winter wolf survey is conducted in partnership with the DNR, USDA Wildlife Services, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Grand Traverse Band or Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.

PINETOP, Ariz. — Residents of Alpine, Ariz., Reserve, NM and surrounding areas may notice a low-flying helicopter in the region between Feb. 7 and Feb. 20 as biologists conduct their annual Mexican wolf population survey and capture.

The flights are part of the Mexican wolf Reintroduction Project, a multi-agency cooperative effort among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Service Inspection Service – Wildlife Services and the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

Watch a Wildlife Views episode on Mexican wolf recovery

Survey flights will occur — weather permitting — on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation; the Apache-Sitgreaves, Gila and Cibola National Forests in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico; and possibly some locations immediately outside forest boundaries.
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