- Details
By Louie Stout
Hoosier complaints about Michigan’s excessive non-resident fishing license fees were heard.
The DNR announced recently it’s reducing non-resident license fees from $72 a year to $68 after non-resident sales plummeted following the price increase last year.
But is it enough to persuade Indiana anglers to return?
Michigan saw a 41 percent drop in annual non-resident fishing license sales since instituting the fee increase last spring. Not surprisingly, the less expensive, 1 and 3 day fishing license sales leaped by nearly 20,000.
Non-resident hunting sales, which weren’t reduced for this year, also were down by 20 percent. Statewide deer license sales dropped by 48,000.
- Details
It’s that time of the year when we take a look at the past with an eye on the future.
The year 2014 delivered a lot of interesting news for outdoorsmen, yet it also left a lot of unfinished business on the table. With that in mind, here’s a look at issues from last year that we can only hope will be resolved in the coming months:
- Details
Development of the Eagle Lake public access site near Edwardsburg continues to move at a snail’s pace, but Michigan DNR officials said this week they are still “in the process of securing the site.”
The state-owned property is on the east side of Eagle Lake Road, just north of the former Dock property. The land designated as a future parking area for a DNR boating access site has sat idle since the state purchased it last August. Future plans call for a new boat ramp on Eagle across the road.
The DNR’s Jordan Byelich said his agency is ready to present boat launch access plans to the Cass County Road Commission sometime next month. The DNR has met with commission staffers to discuss preliminary plans, he added, and “is working on changes per the staff changes.”
In addition, the DNR also must apply to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for development approval.
- Details
In a ruling announced by Cass County District Court Friday, Judge Sue Dobrich supported the Ontwa Township’s zoning board decision that favored the proposed boat launch on Eagle Lake.
The popular fishing lake in southwest Michigan has been without sufficient access all year. The DNR purchased land on Eagle Lake Road near Edwardsburg with the intent to develop a parking area and safe boat launch but has received stiff resistance from the Eagle Lake Improvement Association.
Last summer, the lake association filed suit against Ontwa Township and the Michigan DNR over the township’s zoning board vote that approved the proposed launch.
- Details
By Louie Stout
You gotta love those celebrities.
Whenever a controversial issue comes before us, someone from Hollywood steps forward to voice a position based on naivety and emotion.
Like PETA supporter Kristen Bell, best known as the “Anna” voice in the popular animated film “Frozen,” who came out the other day and issued a plea for Michiganders to vote down the two sportsmen proposals in this week’s election.
Remarkably, some naïve Michigan editorial writers gave the woman that PETA named America’s “Sexiest Vegetarian” a sounding board on their pages the past few weeks.
I guess in some people’s minds that gives her credibility.