Michigan DNR secures $5 million grant from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s America the Beautiful Challenge

Michigan is one of six applicants to get maximum funding; the grant will support critical conservation and connectivity work on rivers and streams in 14 counties

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation recently announced the recipients of the inaugural America the Beautiful Challenge, a $1 billion grant program launched in May to fund diverse, landscape-level conservation projects. Michigan has been awarded $5 million, to be administered by the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

“Michigan’s natural resources are some of the best in the nation, and we will work with anyone to preserve them for future generations,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “These federal grants for our inland waterways will help us protect several at-risk species, reduce risks to public safety and improve climate resiliency. Let’s keep working together to ensure that all our waters, from the Great Lakes that define us to our thousands of inland waterways, are safe for decades to come.”

Michigan’s award will fund removal of 27 stream barriers to restore the passage of fish and other aquatic organisms. Additionally, this work will benefit several at-risk species, such as the eastern massasauga rattlesnake, pickerel frog, and freshwater mussel species including the fluted shell and elktoe.

The DNR will partner with local organizations and federally recognized tribes to reconnect nearly 200 upstream miles of rivers and streams, working toward improved climate resiliency and river connectivity and easier passage of aquatic organisms between and within waterways. Such restoration projects also help eliminate risks to public safety, especially for those sites that have road traffic moving over the waterways.

Partners include the Conservation Resource Alliance, Huron Pines, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Michigan Trout Unlimited, the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly, the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service.

The streams that will benefit from the America the Beautiful Challenge grant are located in 14 counties across Michigan:

  • Twin Lakes Creek (Cheboygan County)
  • Au Sable River (Crawford County)
  • Carr Creek (Delta County)
  • Dana Lake (Delta County)
  • Little Bay de Noc (Delta County)
  • Wycamp Creek (Emmet County)
  • Two Mile Creek (Gogebic County)
  • Boardman/Ottaway rivers (Grand Traverse County)
  • North Branch Cole Creek (Lake County)
  • Spring Creek (Luce County)
  • McAlpine Creek (Mackinac County)
  • Silver Lead Creek (Marquette County)
  • Little Muskegon River (Mecosta County)
  • Buckhorn Creek (Mecosta County)
  • Stony Creek (Oceana County)
  • East Branch Big Creek (Oscoda County)
  • Au Sable River (Oscoda County)
  • Hayden Creek (Van Buren County)

DNR Director Dan Eichinger said the America the Beautiful Challenge support will go a long way toward improving water and fish flow, critical to healthy rivers and streams.

“Put simply, fish and other organisms in the water need to move,” Eichinger said. “Throughout their many life stages, whether they’re seeking food, reproducing, hiding from predators or seeking shelter from extreme conditions, fish have to be able to easily move within their waters, as well as between bodies of water. Removing barriers to such movement means we can better protect fish populations.”

Earlier this year, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation established the America the Beautiful Challenge with a vision to streamline and centralize a nationwide grant-funding opportunity that would leverage federal conservation and restoration investments with private and philanthropic contributions to accelerate land, water and wildlife conservation efforts across the country.

Michigan was one of six applicants awarded the maximum grant amount of $5 million.

More information about this National Fish and Wildlife Foundation program – including a full list of grants awarded to states, U.S. territories and tribal nations, and project descriptions – is available at nfwf.org/programs/america-beautiful-challenge.

To learn more about how Michigan manages fisheries for current and future generations, visit Michigan.gov/Fishing.

Contact: Patrick Ertel (DNR), 989-370-1163

Fishing

Hornady’s Heavyweight, Lock-N-Load Iron Press Delivers

Grand Island, NE – Hornady engineered the Lock-N-Load® Iron Press® to be the heaviest, most rigid press in its class. This single-stage unit, powered with a spring-assisted 1-1/8-inch solid steel ram, is perfect for anyone demanding precision and repeatability from their reloading press.

This 28-pound workhorse press is manufactured with exceptionally tight tolerances and a smooth operating system designed to deliver consistent precision year after year. The Iron Press features Hornady’s patented Lock-N-Load® Bushing System, which ensures dies and bushings are securely locked in place with a simple twist that engages six locking lugs.

Swapping out is straightforward when reloaders need to change to another cartridge size. Simply twist the die counterclockwise, remove it and insert your next preset Lock-N-Load® die and bushing. Dies locked in their Lock-N-Load® bushings remain as they are set, in perfect alignment and ready for their turn in the press.

The unit also features a patented shell holder platform that lets the operator de-prime a case, remove the case to chamfer or deburr, and then quickly replace and prime. The Iron Press’s accessory deck enables quick access to trays for bullets or cases and storage for chamfer and deburr tools, case neck brushes, primer pocket cleaners, and more.

The gravity-fed Automatic Priming System, sold separately or as part of the kit, blurs the lines between progressive and single-stage reloading by allowing more processes to happen simultaneously. The machine upgrade includes the automatic priming system, large and small primer tubes, large and small primer pick-up tubes, primer housing tubes, primer catch trays and a small parts bag.

The Lock-N-Load® Iron Press® Kit includes the following: Read more

Ammunition

Federal Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction in NY Private Property Case

A federal judge in western New York has granted a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the “private property exclusion” tenet of the state’s new gun control law, calling it unconstitutional.

The case, known as Christian et. al. v. Nigrelli, et. al., was brought by the Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition on behalf of Brett Christian, a private citizen. U.S. District Court Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. with the U.S. District Court in Buffalo handed down the 27-page ruling.

Noting that the private property exclusion “makes it a felony for a license holder to possess a firearm on all private property, unless the relevant property holders actually permit such possession with a sign or by express consent,” Judge Sinatra noted, “Regulation in this area is permissible only if the government demonstrates that the current enactment is consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of sufficiently analogous regulations…New York fails that test.”

Judge Sinatra added, “Property owners indeed have the right to exclude. But the state may not unilaterally exercise that right and, thereby, interfere with the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens who seek to carry for self-defense outside of their own homes.”

SAF Founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb was delighted with the ruling, which was issued late Tuesday afternoon.

“New York’s efforts to dance around the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision have become a painful exercise in legal acrobatics, which it seems obvious the courts can see through,” Gottlieb observed. “This case illustrates the ridiculous lengths to which lawmakers in Albany have tried to go in their efforts to get around the letter and spirit of the high court ruling.” Read more

Gun Control

Petition Filed to Ban Lead Use on More Public Lands

On Nov. 17, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) filed a petition to ban the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on all property managed by the National Park Service (NPS). According to the petition, this includes more than 51 million acres open to hunting, comprising more than 60% of the land area in the system.

The PEER petition cites the 2022 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) hunt/fish rule, which began the process of banning lead ammo and tackle on National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) this past summer. As with the FWS hunt/fish rule, the PEER petition argues for this broad and expansive rule – a total ban – due to lead’s known toxicity but fails to cite specific evidence of population-level effects on particular NPS properties of concern. As the Sportsmen’s Alliance forecasted, the FWS effort to ban lead is being followed by other groups, and potentially, more agencies.

The PEER petition also mimics the FWS hunt/fish rule by being highly dismissive of any claims that lead bans will reduce hunting and fishing participation. Hunters and anglers remain the backbone of fish and wildlife funding in America, and yet, PEER rejects this argument out of hand, stating, without any evidence, that such costs will be “minimal” and of no concern. Read more

Ammunition

Brownells Launches BRN-4 Build Kits Compatible With Popular HK416 Parts

Brownells Unveils BRN-4 Build Kits Compatible with HK416 Parts

GRINNELL, Iowa – Brownells customers can now buy BRN-4 build kits and parts compatible with popular HK416 style rifles and pistols – at a significant savings compared to, rare, hard-to-find factory original kits.

The build kits combine brand new Brownells BRN-4 barrels, bolt carrier groups, gas pistons, gas blocks, barrel nuts and other parts with factory original HK416 handguards and stripped uppers.

Factory-new BRN-4 barrels are available in 10.4”, 14.5” or 16” lengths in either heavy or medium profiles. BRN-4 build kits include the special barrel nut wrench required for installation.

The stripped uppers in the kits are surplus German-made originals, and part of a one-time lot of parts Brownells was able to source a few years ago. German stripped uppers may show signs of use, are limited in number and will not be replaced once they sell out. Read more

Firearms

Davidson’s Exclusive H&K VP9

PRESCOTT, Ariz. – Davidson’s is very pleased to announce the latest Exclusive pistol produced in conjunction with Heckler & Koch.

The VP9 pistol is very well known and among its several variants is the “Push-button” or “B” model. This variant has the standard push-button magazine release instead of the H&K paddle release.

The Davidson’s Exclusive VP9 has a gray polymer frame, versus the everyday black, that contrasts nicely with the H&K black hostile environment-finished machined steel slide with front and rear serrations.

The push-button magazine release is reversible, while the slide lock is completely ambidextrous as are HK’s patented charging supports — simple components that are mounted on each side of the rear of the slide and provide better gripping leverage for racking the slide rearward. The charging supports aid speed reloading and make operating the VP9 easier for shooters with reduced hand strength. The VP9 pistols uses the proven P30 steel magazine and this Davidson’s Exclusive comes with two 17-round magazines.

HK’s famous cold hammer forged barrel — made from cannon grade steel — ensures long service life. The polygonal bore profile, with no traditional lands-and-grooves rifling, contributes to longer service life as well as a slight increase in muzzle velocity.

The Exclusive VP9 includes three interchangeable backstraps in a matching gray polymer, green luminous front dot sight, serrated blacked-out rear sight, picatinny rail, and mag loader.

Specifications:
Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 4.06” hammer-forged with polygonal rifling
Overall length: 7.34”
Weight: 29.84 oz with empty magazine
Capacity: 17 rounds (two steel magazines included)

Davidson’s Exclusive VP9, Item#81000782, has an MSRP of $872.00. Consumers can expect a much better price from their local Davidson’s Gallery of Guns dealer.

This Davidson’s Exclusive H&K VP9 is in stock now and available for immediate shipment.

For more information, dealers can access our Communications Center at www.davidsonsinc.com.

Firearms

Redesigned Booner 5-Panel Blind Is Built to Last

Pulaski, WI — Now boasting an even better design, the Booner 5-Panel Blind provides hunters with 360-degree views.

Measuring 75″ x 72″ and 75″ tall, the Booner 5-Panel provides plenty of room for hunting gear and a friend. It’s available in three different window configurations — all horizontal, all vertical, or a combination of both — with clear or tinted plexiglass windows to accommodate gun, crossbow, and vertical bowhunting.

Pre-drilled holes allow for quick assembly, and the weatherproof blind is built to stay outside year-round thanks to rain-tight seams plus a patented overhanging roof. Featuring enhanced ribbing and an improved door support, the vacuum-formed high-density polyethylene construction is extremely durable, UV-stabilized, and paintable.

To learn more about the Booner 5-Panel Blind and browse the full lineup of hard-sided blinds, visit maverickblinds.com.

Hunting

Rogue Ridge RG750 Is Built for Off-Grid Adventure

Minden, LA – The culmination of years of research and development, Rogue Ridge’s RG750 fat tire e-bike is engineered to take outdoorsmen farther and faster.

Equipped with a 750-watt motor and 13 amp hour battery, the RG750 can last through long rides and power you up steep hills. It can reach up to 20 mph with a range of up to 35 miles and a charge time of just 2.5 hours.

The e-bike’s fat tires easily tackle any terrain from sand and rocks to snow and mud, making it a great fit for backcountry hunting or adventuring in all conditions.

The tech-welded frame constructed of 6061 aluminum weighs 65 pounds and is load-rated for up to 300 pounds. The RG750 features a display for quickly checking current speed, average speed, trip distance, and remaining battery power.

The e-bike comes off-road ready with a rear pannier rack, 48v 2a charger, mud fenders, tire liners, and a 1-year warranty. Available in Mossy Oak Bottomland and three solid colorways, the RG750 is a great value at $3,999.99-$4,199.99. Read more

General

KNIFE RIGHTS: “Fail! Maryland AG Defends ‘Assault Weapon’ Ban Citing 19th Century Bowie Knife Ban”

Gilbert, Arizona— Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh has acknowledged in a brief to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit that knives are “arms” covered by the Second Amendment. Unfortunately for him, he tried to use a ban on Bowie knives from the 1800s as an argument that Maryland’s ban on “assault weapons” is legal. It’s an argument that just doesn’t make the cut.

As background, when the U.S. Supreme Court recently issued its Bruen opinionupholding the right to carry firearms and setting strict scrutiny as the test, it sent back to the Appeals Courts a number of cases that were appeals in a variety of gun ban cases. The courts were instructed to review the various prohibitions’ constitutionality in light of the Justices’ decision. One such case was Dominic Bianchi v. Brian Frosh in Maryland opposing the state’s “assault weapons” ban.

The Fourth Circuit asked the parties to brief the case in light of Bruen. The basic argument from Second Amendment supporters in their briefs was that Bianchi could not survive strict scrutiny. There are millions of so-called assault weapons as defined by Maryland’s ban in common use by law-abiding citizens for self-defense, and thus they cannot be considered “dangerous and unusual weapons” that are “not in common use.”

One argument that Bruen allows to accept a ban on modern “arms” is if there were analogous bans at the time the Second Amendment was passed, or which have been historically enacted in the 18th or 19th centuries and which survive to this day. Frost’s argument that historical bans on Bowie Knives are analogous and thus justify modern bans on assault weapons fails to meet Bruen’s test. Read more

Cutlery

SDS Imports First-Ever Black Friday Scratch & Dent Sale

Starting Friday, November 25, 2022, at 12:01 Eastern time, SDS Imports will begin their first annual Scratch and Dent Sale!

If you don’t mind a few blemishes or a missing box, then this is a great opportunity to pick up a quality product from one of our many partner brands.

Guns may have cosmetic blemishes, missing accessories, missing magazines, missing box, wrong box, or a non-standard configuration. Some are brand new and unfired; some were writer samples or trade show guns. Some are simply new, but discontinued items from manufacturers we no longer work with. Some may come with extras like mag extensions. Or not. All have been test fired for function only. Whatever the specifics may be, these guns have something that keeps them from being sold as new. We will try to cover it in the description, but there is no guarantee that we will be 100% accurate.

All long guns are sold as-is, without warranty. Handguns are sold as-is but are covered under the Tisas Lifetime Service Plan (some may be missing magazines).

To check out available models and pricing as it becomes available go to: https://www.sdsimports.com/clearance-sale-s/430118770.htm

Firearms
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