Lame Duck Politics in Michigan

Legislative Roundup from MUCC

  • SB 1035 – Property tax exemption for charitable sportsmen’s clubs — Unfortunately, this was our biggest loss this session. When everything shook out, townships, municipalities and school districts were able to swing votes their way citing the unknown, potential loss of revenue. MUCC learned on Thursday morning that we were not going to have the votes in the House to get this to Gov. Snyder. This issue will continue to be a top priority for MUCC in 2019 as we look to rework the bill and make it feasible for all those involved. It will require reintroduction with a new bill number and must go through the process all over again.
  • HB 5321 – Moratorium on the sterilization of game species in Michigan — Gov. Snyder signed Rep. Cole’s bill into law earlier this week, and it was a bill that Michigan United Conservation Clubs helped to craft and get across the finish line. HB 5321 did meet resistance, but the compromise language provides a four-year moratorium preventing the DNR from issuing “research permits” that allow the sterilization of game species. After four years, it will be up to the DNR, NRC and stakeholders to decide if sterilization is an effective method of managing game species using the “research” outcomes gained in Ann Arbor during the city’s ongoing sterilization project. MUCC is optimistic that scientific research will not validate sterilization as an effective tool for the management of game species, and that hunters will continually be the primary managers of Michigan’s game species.
  • Michigan Pheasant Hunter Initiative — MUCC was informed early this morning that our request for supplemental funding did make it into the final budget bill, SB 601. The supplemental appropriations bill will now head to Gov. Snyder who will have the ability to sign, or line-item veto certain parts of the the legislation. This initiative was a 2017 MUCC resolution that passed unanimously through our Annual Convention. The initiative looks to create more pheasant hunting opportunities on state lands in Michigan.
  • SB 1211 —  Dubbed Casperson’s “wetland destruction act” — Initially, MUCC was opposed to this bill along with numerous other conservation groups throughout Michigan. In its final form after midnight today, MUCC, along with many of our partners who have worked tirelessly on this bill, stands neutral. Most of the language weakening wetland protections that raised flags throughout the environmental and conservation communities has been removed. MUCC Deputy Director Amy Trotter said, “Sportsmen and environmental organizations teamed up together on direct and grassroots advocacy to drain the ‘wetland destructions act.'” Currently, this bill is awaiting Gov. Snyder’s decision.
  • HB 5854-5855—Voluntary Wetland Restoration Program. Not to be confused with the above, this proactive legislation spearheaded by Ducks Unlimited, sponsored by Reps. Howell and Bellino and supported by MUCC heads to the Governor to create a program to streamline permits for voluntary wetland restoration work done by an agency or non-governmental organization.
  • SB 1145 — This bill would have allowed the harvest of lake trout by commercial fishermen, which has been prohibited since the 1960s. This Sen. Casperson bill, if passed, could have had serious ramifications for not only lake trout, but also could interfere with the upcoming tribal negotiations on the Great Lakes Consent Decree beginning next year. MUCC stood with the charter boat industry, Trout Unlimited, the Michigan Steelhead and Salmon Fishermen’s Association, and Hammond Bay Area Anglers in opposition and stopped this bill from coming out of committee. We look forward to working together in 2019 on comprehensive updates to the commercial fishing law.
  • SB 1258-1259 — Unfortunately, the recreation passport opt-out was a late-introduced bill that never got legs in the House, after passing the Senate last week. This legislation would have every vehicle automatically pay for the recreation passport unless the owner opted out, potentially raising more funding for state and local parks operations and maintenance. MUCC will continue to look for long-term funding opportunities to ensure our parks and recreation infrastructure can be maintained into the future.
  • SJR O, SB 763, SB 931-932 — This package introduced by Sens. Casperson, Hansen and Booher, in its final version, was widely supported by the conservation and recreation community and made changes to capture the next rollover of the oil and gas revenues, currently going into the State Parks Endowment Fund (SPEF), to put them back into the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund once SPEF reaches is cap. SJR O will be a constitutional amendment on the 2020 ballot to increase the flexibility of the funding to invest in both land acquisition and recreational development projects.
  • HB 6123— After yet another battle earlier this year over potentially dangerous changes to our water withdrawal law, this bill led by Michigan Trout Unlimited seeks to reauthorize the water use advisory council to make recommendations to the state on improvements that can be made on the use of data and models, and to the process for using the water withdrawal assessment tool. MUCC supports this legislation that was sent to the Governor this morning.
Fishing, Hunting

Congress Fails to Reauthorize LWCF

TRCP calls on the 116th Congress to advance these noncontroversial measures in early 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last night, the 115th Congress moved closer to adjourning after failing to advance a wide-ranging and noncontroversial public lands package that had been under careful development by lawmakers for years. Part of the proposed legislation was a permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, key provisions from the Sportsmen’s Act, Pittman-Robertson Modernization, and numerous regionally specific bills.

“These critical measures for our public lands and sportsmen’s access were teed-up and ready to go with broad support, yet Congress still failed to get them across the finish line,” says Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “While we truly appreciate the best efforts of some lawmakers who went to bat for this, we are disappointed to see common-sense solutions kicked down the road yet again.”

Chief among the opportunities missed was a reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which expired on September 30 despite the efforts of an outspoken, diverse coalition of advocates. For more than 50 years, the LWCF has helped conserve habitat and create public access for hunting and fishing all across the nation.

“Permanently reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund should have been an easy win for lawmakers of both parties,” says Fosburgh. “We still have 9.5 million acres of landlocked public lands in the West, and the task of conserving important fish and wildlife habitats is no less critical, but we no longer have at our disposal the best tool to address these issues.” Read more

General

First Michigan waterways designated as state water trails

Eight waterways totaling 540-plus miles that flow through more than a dozen counties have been selected as the first state-designated water trails in Michigan, the Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday.

The DNR and the Office of the Great Lakes partnered on the effort to finalize this first round of designations, which includes:

  • Central River Raisin Water Trail, 11 miles in Monroe County.
  • Chain of Lakes Water Trail, more than 80 miles in Antrim and Kalkaska counties.
  • Huron River Water Trail, 104 miles in Livingston, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.
  • Island Loop Route, 10 miles in St. Clair County.
  • Flint River Trail, 72 miles in Genesee and Lapeer counties.
  • Middle Grand River Water Trail, 87 miles in Clinton, Eaton, Ingham and Ionia counties.
  • Shiawassee River Trail, 88 miles in Genesee, Oakland, Saginaw and Shiawassee counties.
  • Upper Grand River Water Trail, 91 miles in Eaton, Ingham and Jackson counties.

A water trail is a designated route on a navigable waterway such as a lake, river, canal or bay, that is designed and managed to create a positive outdoor recreation experience for the user. Water trails feature well-developed access points, often are near significant historical, environmental or cultural points of interest and often have nearby amenities like restaurants, hotels and campgrounds. Read more

Fishing

Nightforce Introduces New Products for 2019

Nightforce Optics has introduced a second focal plane version of their acclaimed ATACR™ 7-35×56 F1, the most powerful ATACR™ riflescope currently offered. “Since we introduced the first focal plane 7-35x two years ago, it has become one of our most popular models,” said Alan Stilwell, North American sales manager for Nightforce. “With its brilliant ED glass, extraordinary resolving power and the virtually indestructible construction that characterizes all of our ATACR™ riflescopes, we believe it is the most precise, powerful instrument for extended-range shooting on the market today.”

The ATACR™ 7-35×56 F2, built on a 34mm tube, provides 100 MOA/29 MRAD of elevation adjustment and 60 MOA/17 MRAD of windage adjustment. Unlike many high-magnification riflescopes, it delivers superb clarity at every power setting, allowing detailed rendering and identification of small targets at extreme ranges. It is offered with either the MOAR-T™ or MIL-C™ proprietary Nightforce reticles. DigIllum™ reticle illumination and ZeroStop™ elevation technology are standard.

“The F1-first focal plane-version has been so successful,” Stilwell added, “that we wanted to make the same unparalleled performance available to those who prefer a second focal plane reticle.” MSRP is $3,100.

 

MIL-XT Reticle

Nightforce has also announced its new illuminated MIL-XT™ reticle, available in 16x, 25x and 35x ATACR™ F1 (first focal plane) riflescopes. It is designed for precision rifle competition, being extremely fast, intuitive and providing precise hold-over and hold-off points. Main lines feature .2 Mil-Radian holds, while each whole Mil-Radian is numbered for fast reference.

Below center, there are .2 Mil-Radian-spaced floating dots at every vertical Mil-Radian. Whole Mil-Radians dots are larger in size for fast counting. Additional marks are also placed at half Mil-Radian increments. Numbers below center vary in size and are placed on each side for easy counting and verification of appropriate hold points.

The MIL-XT™ provides excellent range estimation, rapid target engagements and precise first-shot placement. Combined with the extreme capability of Nightforce ATACR™ riflescopes, it gives the serious competitive shooter every conceivable advantage.

About Nightforce

Nightforce is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium sport optics and related products, including riflescopes, spotting scopes and accessories. Based in Orofino, ID, Nightforce is known for rugged, high-precision engineered designs that are capable of holding up to punishing conditions. Nightforce has established a benchmark for high-quality, high-performance products that have accompanied soldiers into battle, world champion shooters to the winner’s podium, and helped hunters take the trophy of a lifetime.

Optics

QuietKat 2019

For 2019 QuietKat bikes have a new frame design and upgraded battery system! The new frame features a new battery which loads from the side, and an updated battery management system which provides more efficient power to the motor. The frame has been redesigned to allow for a lower stand-over height, and increased handling performance. This new frame is available in the Apex, Warrior, Predator, and Ambush models. A hub-drive version is available for the Ranger and Rover models. Also for 2019, an all-new 17” frame is available for riders 5’3-6’ tall. This frame features the same quality and dependability you expect from QuietKat, but in a smaller frame design for the Denali, Canyon, Sequoia and Zion models. Colors for 2019 include Charcoal and QuietKat Camo. Our folding bikes get a big upgrade, with the addition of the Ultra-Drive motor on the Voyager, now available in 1000w and 750w versions! The re-designed Bandit model now features a hub-drive system at a great price!

Hunting

President Trump Signs Farm Bill

President Donald Trump has signed the 2018 Farm Bill. The $867 billion bill expands the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by three million acres, to a total of 27 million acres, but limits the government subsidy to 80% of the average rent for the acre and disallows whole farm enrollment into the program. In a twenty-five minute signing ceremony, the President called the measure a “bipartisan success” and thanking Democratic lawmakers for “ensuring that American agriculture will always feed our families, nourish our communities, power our commerce and inspire our nation.”

General

Speer to Sell Components Online

LEWISTON, Idaho – – Speer is pleased to announce the launch of ecommerce capability on speer-ammo.com. For the first time ever, customers can buy Gold Dot ammunition, component bullets and more direct from Speer. The new service started in November and has received great praise from shooters, hunters and reloaders nationwide.

“This is a place where our customers can buy specialized Speer products, such as 44 Special, 327 Federal Magnum and 32 Auto, that many retailers tend not to carry consistently” said Speer Senior Marketing Director Jason Nash. “For fans of Speer and its law enforcement leading Gold Dot technology, there is now another way to find their favorite product.”

Site visitors will also see Speer’s hot new 10mm Auto 200-grain Gold Dot. This powerful load’s 1100 fps muzzle velocity delivers the full capability of the cartridge.

Speer’s online shopping cart features free shipping on orders of $50 or more shipped to a single U.S. address (before promotions, discounts and taxes are applied). All orders are shipped UPS Ground. Delivery times vary, but most orders will be shipped within 10 working days. For full details, visit https://www.speer-ammo.com/support/orders. Read more

Ammunition

Michigan awards $3.6 million to battle invasive species

The full list of grant recipients, project descriptions and award amounts is available on the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program website.

Since its start, the program has targeted four key objectives:

  • Preventing new introductions of invasive species through outreach and education.
  • Monitoring for new invasive species and the expansion of existing invasive species.
  • Responding to and conducting eradication efforts for new findings and range expansions.
  • Strategically managing and controlling key colonized species.

This year’s grant awards provide funding for several projects involving promising new methods of reducing the effects of terrestrial (land-based) invasive species:

  • Using new techniques to increase development of beech trees that are resistant to beech bark disease. These trees will be planted in the Upper and Lower peninsulas.
  • Grafting selected ash trees that have survived the emerald ash borer and testing them for resistance, with the goal of developing stock that could be used for restoration plantings.
  • Testing a newly approved biological control, Hypena opulenta – a moth from the Ukraine whose larvae primarily feed on invasive black and pale swallow-wort vines – to determine its ability to establish, reproduce and help control these vines in Michigan.

Hand over the water holding didymo (known as rock snot), an invasive aquatic plant

Some of the grant dollars also will support a range of efforts to prevent and manage aquatic (water-based) invaders: Read more

Wildlife

Ruger Precision Rimfire Magnum

Ruger Introduces Magnum Models of the Ruger Precision Rimfire Rifle and BX-15 MagnumMagazine

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) proudly introduces magnum models of the RugerPrecision® Rimfire rifle and a new BX-15® Magnum magazine. Faster, flatter and with high-performing bullets, .17 HMR and .22 WMR cartridges expand the capabilities of the Ruger Precision Rimfireplatform. Like its .22 LR predecessor, these new magnum offerings maintain the same ergonomics, trigger and manual of arms as the larger centerfire Ruger Precision Rifle.

The Ruger Precision Rimfire’s molded, one-piece chassis and adjustable buttstock assembly are manufactured from strong glass-filled nylon, offering a solid foundation for accuracy. The innovative Quick-Fit Precision Rimfire stock allows the rifle’s length of pull and comb height to be quickly and easily adjusted for proper fit over a wide range of shooter sizes, outerwear and shooting positions.

The 18″ cold hammer-forged target barrel features ultra-precise rifling for excellent accuracy and a 1/2″-28 muzzle thread pattern for easy pairing with muzzle devices, including the Ruger® Silent-SR®. The 15″ free-float handguard with Magpul® M-LOK® slots provides generous scope clearance and easy mounting of M-LOK-compatible rails and accessories. Additionally, Big-Gun bolt throw adjustment technology allows shooters to experience the long bolt throw of a centerfire cartridge, like 6.5 Creedmoor, improving the Ruger Precision Rimfire’s capabilities as a training rifle.

The popular Ruger Marksman Adjustable™ trigger can be externally adjusted from 2.25 to 5 pounds with the adjusting wrench that is conveniently stored in a buttstock compartment on the rifle. Ruger’s own AR-pattern pistol grip and safety selector allow for maximum control and access to the 45 degree, reversible safety selector. The rifle is topped with a 0 MOA Picatinny scope base and ships with one, 15-round BX-15 Magnum magazine or one, 9-round JMX-1 rotary magazine. Read more

Firearms

Florida: FWC Arrests 9 for Conspiracy, Animal Cruelty, Racketeering, Other Violations

FWC arrests 9 for conspiracy, animal cruelty, bear baiting violations after long-term investigation.  All suspects and charges are found later in this release.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution today announced the arrests of nine individuals after a year-long investigation into the illegal baiting, taking and molestation of Florida black bears by the use of dogs for commercial purposes.

During the investigation, FWC officers gathered evidence of numerous illegal acts in several Florida counties on both private and public lands. Prosecution of this case is being coordinated by the Florida Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.

“Thanks to the comprehensive action of law enforcement, led by the dedicated officers of the FWC, those responsible for these inhumane acts will face the full force of the law. In Florida, we have no tolerance for vile animal cruelty, and we will hold anyone accountable who commits this heinous crime,” said Gov. Rick Scott. Read more

Poachers
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