Members of the Michigan Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, representatives from the state’s hunting and angling conservation community, and staff of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) gathered last Thursday in Lansing for a Michigan Sportsmen’s Caucus breakfast briefing. The DNR Fisheries Division staff presented an update on trout fisheries management, and staff from the Enforcement Division provided a video on the activities and dedication of the agency’s conservation officers. It was an opportunity for the DNR to thank the legislature for appropriating enough funds to hire more than twenty additional conservation officers. Even though this is not the highest number of conservation officers ever employed by the agency, today’s technologies will allow the additional force to provide as many or more services than ever before.
The featured guest speaker was Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus member Governor Rick Snyder. Gov. Snyder spoke to the significance and importance of Michigan’s hunting, angling and outdoor heritage and the need to promote Michigan’s natural resources to the rest of the country. The Governor recognized the value, both culturally and economically, of the vast natural resources that state has to offer.
This was one of several breakfast briefings held by the Michigan Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus throughout the year in an effort to keep the sportsmen’s community connected and engaged with the state’s policy makers.
For more information on the Michigan Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus contact CSF’s Midwestern States Director Chris Horton at chris@sportsmenslink.org.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
