WASHINGTON, D.C. -The U. S. Senate voted today to reject an amendment to the Keystone XL Pipleline bill that would have removed protections from 15 million acres of backcountry lands in U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges and Bureau of Land Management wilderness study areas. The Senate’s rejection of the amendment affirms the value that Americans-especially hunters and anglers-place on wild, backcountry lands.

“America’s wild, unroaded backcountry is perhaps our greatest natural asset, ” said Steve Kandell, director of Trout Unlimited’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project. “These lands have been valued by sportsmen and women for generations as a lasting American frontier where fish and wildlife can thrive and hunters, anglers and other adventurous souls can experience the outdoors in a wild, natural state. ” Read more

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced that it has received the first reports this winter of bats dying from white-nose syndrome. Members of the public found dead bats outside the opening of an abandoned copper mine near Mohawk in Keweenaw County and reported it to DNR field staff.

White-nose syndrome was first discovered in Michigan in late winter 2014 in Alpena, Dickinson, Keweenaw, Mackinac and Ontonagon counties. Widespread die-offs of hibernating bats are expected in all of these counties, and potentially others, this winter. Experience with white-nose syndrome in northeastern states suggests that most dead bats will be found within 100 yards of the openings to the mines, caves or other places in which they hibernate (called ‘hibernacula’), but some bats may travel a mile or more before dying.

Because most of the major bat hibernacula in these counties are in relatively remote areas, most people will probably not see the bat die-offs. However, in towns like Iron Mountain, Hancock and Norway, where large numbers of bats hibernate in mines within the city limits, area residents may see dead and dying bats. These bats may be on the ground, or roost on trees, buildings or other structures close to humans and domestic animals. Read more

Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers are seeking information from the public about an incident that killed seven mallards on Houghton Lake during the annual Tip-Up Town celebration.

On Sunday, Jan. 18, conservation officer Chuck McPherson and Sgt. Jeremy Payne received information about seven dead mallards discovered near the Iroquois Street bridge in the East Bay area of Houghton Lake. When they arrived to investigate, the officers also discovered an injured mallard that they collected and took to a wildlife rehabilitator in the area for care.

According to Sgt. Payne, the incident happened near open water where a canal enters the lake. The area is known as a place that ducks congregate because of the open water at the canal entrance. There was a single set of snowmobile tracks near the open water, and officers surmise a snowmobiler struck a large group of ducks sometime on Jan. 17. The dead ducks collected at the scene had injuries consistent with blunt force trauma.

Payne said there is another injured duck that appears to have a broken wing that the officers will continue to look out for in hopes of taking it to a wildlife rehabilitator for care.

Anyone with information about this incident can call the DNR’s Report All Poaching (RAP) Line at 1-800-292-7800. Information may be left anonymously. Information also can be sent to the DNR via the online reporting form available on the DNR website www.michigan.gov/conservationofficers. Read more