michigan united conservation clubs

Wolf hunt opponents deliver petitions to Secretary of State's office

Steve Carmody — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:03:37 +0000

People fighting a proposed wolf hunt in Michigan are celebrating a milestone today.

They delivered a quarter million petition signatures to the Secretary of State’s office this morning. The petition calls for a statewide vote on the law authorizing the wolf hunt.

Jill Fritz is the director of the Keep Michigan Wolves Protected campaign. She’s optimistic that state officials will validate enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot.

Wolf hunt opponents plan to deliver petition signatures calling for statewide vote

Steve Carmody — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:31:00 +0000

Tomorrow, Michigan may move a little closer to having a statewide vote on a possible wolf hunt.

Members of the group, Keep Michigan Wolves Protected, are expected to deliver nearly a quarter million petition signatures to the Secretary of State’s office.

The petition drive calls for a referendum on a new state law authorizing a gray wolf hunt.

Once endangered, the wolf population has grown in recent years. State wildlife experts believe there are around 700 gray wolves in Michigan.

Conservationists worry about plan to cap amount of publicly owned land in Michigan

Steve Carmody — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:01:47 +0000

Governor Snyder will soon have to decide if he will sign a bill that would cap the amount of public land the state can own. Some conservationists are suggesting the governor should veto the bill.

Horseback riding bill may cost state millions in federal aid

Steve Carmody — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:15:20 +0000

State lawmakers are considering legislation that would open more state owned land to horseback riding. But the proposal could also end up costing Michigan millions of dollars in federal grant money.

The state House Natural Resources, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation committee is scheduled to discuss the horseback riding bill Wednesday. The bill’s sponsor says opening up more state parkland to horseback riding could increase tourism.

But Erin McDonough says the state could lose $25 to 30 million in federal grant money. McDonough is the executive director of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs. The federal grant money is intended to promote hunting and McDonough says increasing horseback riding would negatively affect land the state bought for hunting.

"There’s a way to have a balance. And there’s a way for everybody to have recreational opportunities on all those lands," says McDonough.

McDonough says supporters of the bill do not believe federal officials will follow through with a threat to cut the grant funding.

Michigan has approximately 80 thousand recreational horseback riders using around 25 hundred miles of trails around the state.