DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves anticipates that the company's iron ore mine in northern Minnesota will close around 2025 without mineral rights.

Starting Tuesday morning, more than half-a-million hunters will head out into the woods for dear season. It’s estimated that hunting contributes more than $2 billion to the state’s economy yearly. But a shift is happening as both numbers have trended down for years.

One detective snapped an epic photo with a snapping turtle while helping the reptile cross the road.

“Nightmare fuel,” one person commented after seeing photos of the massive creature.

Michigan’s firearm deer hunting season is fast approaching. “Most of the violations conservation officers encounter during firearm deer season are simple mistakes people make when they get caught up in the excitement of the hunt or forget to put safety first,” said F/Lt. Wear hunter orangeHunters are required by law to wear hunter orange as the outermost layer of clothing at all times. Hunter orange garments, including camouflage, must be at least 50% hunter orange and be visible from all directions. Hunt in-season, during legal hoursDuring firearm season, a hunter may legally shoot game starting 30 minutes before sunrise and until 30 minutes after sunset.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to know where bear dens are and they need help from people who spend the most time outdoors.

Owners announced via email on Sept. 13 that they would no longer allow snowmobiles or ATVs to operate on resort property. The closure would eliminate trail access between Wakefield and Ironwood, affecting the communities of Bessemer and Ironwood most directly. “We understand that property owners have the right to revoke access to their land,” said Ron Yesney, DNR Upper Peninsula trails coordinator. “Nearly 50% of our snowmobile trails are on private land, however, this particular closure puts snowmobiling opportunities and connectivity in the western U.P. in a tough spot.”The DNR, Gogebic Range Trail Authority and local officials are working to find a reroute but there are “significant hurdles,” the DNR said.

LANSING, MICH. -- Food trucks, a riding stable, park stores and beach concessions are just a few of the business opportunities currently available at Michigan state parks through the Department of Natural Resources. The Michigan DNR this week announced new concessionaire opportunities at eight state parks and recreation areas. State park concessions offer goods and services not provided by state park staff, and are instead contracted to small businesses. Other locations will be added throughout October, including Warren Dunes and Muskegon state parks. RELATED:How to get a winter’s worth of firewood from Michigan state forests for $20Giant planets on parade, fall meteor shower: October skywatching tips7 great Michigan trails for gorgeous fall color

DNR fuelwood permits allow households to gather up to five cords of dead and downed firewood from state forestland in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula for personal use. The 2022 fuelwood permit costs $20 and is valid through Dec. 31, 2022. Find a map of available state forest fuelwood collection locations, learn about collection rules, and find related information at Michigan.gov/Fuelwood. For details on fuelwood collection in Michigan’s federally managed forests, contact Hiawatha National Forest, Huron-Manistee National Forest or Ottawa National Forest. Try these 10 Michigan vacation rentalsThousands of these dinosaur-like birds will soon be migrating through Michigan

A new estimation shows that Wisconsin currently has about 970 wolves in the state. This means that last year's wolf hunt had a small impact on the population.

FLINT, MI -- A public open house next week will give residents a chance to get information on planning for Michigan’s newest state park and to offer suggestions for the project. The state Department of Natural Resources announced the open house will be held from 3-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Mott Park Clubhouse, 2701 Nolen Drive, in Flint. Gretchen Whitmer in 2019, the state park plan for Flint gained steam after up to $30.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds were designated for the project in March. Once completed, it will become the 104th state park in Michigan and the first in Genesee County. The DNR says emails should include “FLINT STATE PARK” in the subject line.

There is a new birding trail in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that covers more than 400 miles and includes 40 birding stops.

MEARS, MI -- There’s a new way to experience Lake Michigan at one of the state’s most popular parks. Registration is now open for the first official shoreline horseback riding season at Silver Lake State Park in Oceana County. The program will offer riders the unique opportunity to ride the Lake Michigan shoreline at one of Michigan’s most unique state parks. The riding season takes place Nov. 1 through Nov. 30. Registration and complete rules regarding the shoreline horseback riding program can be seen here.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is urging bird hunters to keep an eye out for signs of bird flu (H5N1).

Isle Royale National Park’s gray wolf population has reached 28, a dramatic comeback after the species nearly disappeared from the Lake Superior island chain, researchers said Wednesday.

Nearly $240 million in funding for an array of state departments was freed up by the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, Nov. 19, with the Department of State Police receiving the largest allotment of any agency. Two legislative transfers were approved 27-0 on Wednesday following a brief explanatory testimony from a House Fiscal Agency employee. The Senate Appropriations Committee, however, also must vote to approve the funding before agencies have access to it which has yet to occur. The move is mostly to shift federal funds which have already been made available by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Rounding out the transfer is $4.6 million for the DHHS, $3.5 million for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and $150,000 for the State Department for various departmental needs.

Investigators believed she slipped and fell while gardening, Beaufort County Coroner David Ott and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources said Monday evening. This is the third alligator attack in Sun City in the past three years. An autopsy is expected to take place Tuesday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, Ott said. Alligator attacks are fairly uncommon in the southeastern region of the United States but are more common in Florida than in South Carolina. The last fatal alligator attack to occur in South Carolina was in May 2020 when a 58-year-old woman saw an alligator and went to touch it, despite her friend’s warnings, according to The Post and Courier.

LAKE COUNTY, MI – An unlicensed ORV touting a “slow-moving farm equipment” sign was recently pulled over in Lake County, officials said. Both subjects riding in the ORV said they figured the farm equipment sign on the back was “good enough” for operating on roads. Killingbeck advised that it is not good enough – an ORV license is required to operate on public roads in Michigan. The driver responded by saying, “How can you expect me to know that?”Killingbeck told the subjects that ORV regulations are easily accessed. He wrote a citation for failing to license an ORV.

Two “shovel ready” projects will break ground this fall at Straits State Park and Cheboygan State Park. There are 188 state park projects planned under the Building Michigan Together Plan, which is mostly federally funded. Cheboygan State Park’s modern campground is set for a $750,000 project to upgrade its electrical and water distribution systems. Check out this map or this list to find out what improvements are in store at your favorite state park. RELATED: Michigan’s newest state park will be in arm’s reach of vibrant, popular downtown sceneAt $250 million, state parks upgrades is one of the bigger ticket items in the Building Michigan Together Plan.

For sisters Deb and Tracey Webb, there’s nothing better than teaching a kid how to fish — a lifelong hobby that encourages socialization, teaches patience and problem-solving skills and provides an appreciation of the outdoors.

"The impacts could be massive," one state official said.

The Great Salt Lake has hit a new historic low for the second time in less than a year as the ongoing megadrought worsened by climate change continues to shrink the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi. Utah Department of Natural Resources said Monday in a news release the Great Salt Lake dipped Sunday to 4,190.1 feet (1,277.1 meters). Lake levels are expected to keep dropping until fall or winter, the agency said.

GRAND HAVEN, MI – Grand Haven State Park was shut down on the Fourth of July holiday Monday after an unruly crowd caused problems on the south pier and the beach, the state Department of Natural Resources said. When Grand Haven police shut down the pier, an estimated 200 people who had gathered there went to the beach where a fight broke out. The DNR reported pushing and shoving among those in the large group, and shut the beach down as a precaution. Grand Haven police helped the DNR close the park. Olson said that alcohol use, which is not allowed in the state park, was part of the problem.

Invasive beech leaf disease has been found in a small private woodlot in southern St. Clair County, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Officials say a man has fired gunshots at police and then barricaded himself inside a home in Mount Clemens. The man has fired multiple gunshots at officers from his garage, police say. He then fired more shots from his window.

Sterling State Park’s Heritage Trail will get $425,000 to stabilize the riverbank in preparation for resurfacing the trail.

Officials hope to open the site — known as Saginaw River Headwaters Rec Area — to the public for the first time sometime between this fall and spring 2023, offering a new destination for hiking, fishing and wildlife-observing enthusiasts. The property — located on the west side of the Saginaw River, across the water from Wickes Park — for decades housed General Motors Corp. operations, including the Saginaw Malleable Iron Plant. Back then, DNR officials announced the park would open in 2020, with Saginaw County Parks and Recreation serving as a partnering agency and the site’s day-to-day operations manager. “This will be better than opening too early and then having to work around the public to do the improvements.”Immediately south of Saginaw River Headwaters Rec Area is 10,000 acres of U.S. In this 2007 file photo, the General Motors Saginaw Malleable Iron Plant stands at 77 W. Center in Saginaw.

History is repeating itself in Lake Michigan: The alewife fish is washing up on the shores in a widespread “die-off” event that used to happen frequently in the past.

Three Michigan state recreation areas are hosting floating water parks this summer, giving you another great reason to get out and enjoy our state park system. The floating water parks are suitable for both kids and adults, offering features like inflatable slides, runways, jumping pillows, bouncers, climbing walls and more, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Ticket information, rules, height requirements and hours of operation are available on each of the water parks’ websites, listed below. Note that if you are arriving by vehicle, a state park Recreation Passport is required for park entry. More details hereMORE IN MICHIGAN TRAVEL:15 Michigan summer vacation ideas we bet you’ve never tried7 secret spots to explore in Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State ParkDNR reminds state park campers not to arrive before 3 p.m. check-in time

Anyone who answered yes will want to be aware of a new policy the Department of Natural Resources is now enforcing. Initially proposed in 2021, the update to the Michigan’s Land Use Order (Section 5.1.6) allows the DNR to fine anyone who enters water from a state-managed beach when risks to human health and safety are present. In other words, if dangerous swimming conditions are present, swimming is prohibited. Closures will be publicized via on-site signage and/or communication by a DNR employee, such as loudspeaker announcements. “We’re not trying to give people tickets,” Ron Olson, the chief of the Parks and Recreation Division for the DNR told MLive in 2021.

That’s it, that’s all you need to know, there’s no catch -- well, hopefully, you catch a couple of fish.

Avian flu has killed scores of birds and contributed to higher egg and poultry prices.

Officials say that two people were hurt in a hit-and-run crash Monday (May 30) on Belle Isle in Detroit.

If you want to fish in Michigan, but aren’t quite sure where to go, the Department of Natural Resources has your back.

Ever thought about catching and keeping your own nightcrawlers?

LANSING, MI – Michigan residents around the state should be aware that the Department of Natural Resources has scheduled for prescribed burns in the Lower Peninsula. The controlled fires planned for Tuesday are to improve wildlife habitat, according to the DNR. Burns are planned in Allegan County’s Valley Township, Oakland County’s White Lake Township, Otsego County Corwith Township and Wexford County’s Greenwood Township. In Otsego County, a fire was started at noon to improve wildlife habitat for deer, elk and turkeys on 123 acres. Prescribed burns are one way the DNR keeps lands and forests healthy, according to a news release.

Turkey vultures are coming back to Michigan after spending their winter where it’s warmer.

The Blue Lakes Fire in the northern portion of Michigan’s lower peninsula is now 98% contained, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The Blue Lakes Fire in the northern portion of Michigan’s lower peninsula is now 75% contained, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Firefighters and Michigan DNR are working to contain a 2,500-acre wildfire burning up Montmorency and Cheboygan county.

Firefighters and Michigan DNR are working to contain a 2,300-acre wildfire burning up Montmorency and Cheboygan county.

Avian influenza has been confirmed in three baby red foxes in separate southeastern Michigan counties.

Around 30 electric vehicle charging stations are going to be installed at some state parks in Michigan.

Avian influenza has been confirmed in three baby red foxes in Macomb, St. Clair and Lapeer counties.

Do you fish in Lake Superior? The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking anglers to report marked splake.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Officials are reminding residents that a fire weather watch has been issued for much of Michigan this weekend. “Increased fire danger will be in place across Northern Michigan today, resulting in the issuance of a Fire Weather Watch,” the NWS said. The combination of warm, dry weather and dry grasses and leaves left over from winter means people need to keep fire safety front and center, according to the DNR. If you are operating an ORV, power tools or other machinery, remember that a hot muffler or engine can ignite dry leaves or grass, so keep machines away from those and other potential fuel sources. Get more fire safety tips at Michigan.gov/PreventWildfires

Puerto Rico’s Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into destruction in an ecological reserve that protects one of the island’s most extensive mangrove forests

Puerto Rico's Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into destruction in an ecological reserve that protects one of the island’s most extensive mangrove forests.

You might have seen them in your backyard last year, the spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth), but will they be back again this year?

The DNR is letting anglers know to get their fishing gear ready as several season openers are approaching.

Avian influenza has been confirmed in at least five counties: Kalamazoo, Livingston, Macomb, Menominee and Washtenaw, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Do you have an oak tree? You could save its life by putting your chainsaw down and not pruning it right away, according to the Michigan DNR.

South American tegus can grow up to 4 feet long, and eat turtle eggs, alligators and ground-nesting birds, among other things.

ONTONAGON COUNTY, MI – All roads to Lake of the Clouds remain closed. The Department of Natural Resources shared Tuesday that M-107, the main road to picturesque lake located within Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in the Upper Peninsula, remained covered and snow and is still closed.

A hunting dog has been bitten by a wolf in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Michigan anglers who catch certain tagged walleye and report it to the Department of Natural Resources could earn some cash. Starting today, the DNR will jaw tag 3,000 walleye across multiple Saginaw Bay tributary rivers. Anyone catching a tagged fish is asked to report the following information using the tag return form at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField :Species. Tagging occurs each spring on the Tittabawassee River and other Saginaw Bay tributaries during the walleye spawning run. After spawning, walleye migrate back into Saginaw Bay and a large number migrate out of the bay into Lake Huron.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will jaw tag 3,000 walleye across multiple Saginaw Bay tributary rivers.

A highly contagious bird flu (avian influenza) has been identified in Michigan’s wild bird population, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

A highly contagious bird flu (avian influenza) has been identified in Michigan’s wild bird population, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Michigan has added more than 100 miles of snowmobiling trails to its Upper Peninsula system, which is a big contributor to the local economy, the Department of Natural Resources announced today. For $1.8 million, the DNR purchased nearly 103 miles of primarily snowmobiling trail easements in Baraga and Marquette counties from Lyme Great Lakes Timberlands. It was paid for with the DNR’s permanent snowmobile easement fund. “Trails are critical to the Upper Peninsula’s economy, and we are proud to partner with Lyme to secure these trails forever,” said Ron Yesney, the DNR’s U.P. “We’re pleased to once again work with the DNR to provide permanent public access to the trail networks in Marquette and Baraga counties, which pass through some of the most scenic parts of the area.”Michigan has roughly 6,500 miles of groomed snowmobile trails managed by the DNR and snowmobile clubs, with about half of those miles located in the U.P.

The fish can weigh up to 50 pounds.

A Platteville fish dealer was convicted of illegally selling bighead, grass and silver carp in Wisconsin.

The state Department of Natural Resources says a survey conducted in January estimates that Michigan’s elk population has increased 5% since 2019.

The state Department of Natural Resources says a survey conducted in January estimates that Michigan's elk population has increased 5% since 2019.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources released its weekly fishing report on Wednesday and it included some updates for people who fish in Southeast Michigan.

Endangered Species List crushed their hopes for a public Michigan hunt of the wild canines as early as this autumn. Now they want state wildlife regulators to get rules ready for a wolf hunt across the Upper Peninsula, just in case federal protections are ever dropped again. The last wolf hunt in Michigan was in 2013. Marie, when wolf hunt opponents planned to attend and make public comments. He also underscored how Great Lakes Indigenous tribes do not support a wolf hunt.

VAN BUREN COUNTY, MI – A Decatur man was sent to prison and lost hunting privileges for life after poaching trophy bucks, the state Department of Natural Resources said. He was sentenced to lesser jail terms for three counts of illegal taking or possessing whitetail deer and obtaining a hunting license while ineligible. The DNR said Ernst last year poached nine trophy bucks. Two days later, investigators responded to a tip on DNR’s Report All Poaching hotline that Ernst had killed another deer. He had a 2018 conviction for illegally taking or possessing a whitetail deer.

Michigan has a long-running bovine TB zone in the northeast Lower Peninsula, where infected wild deer are common. The challenge for regulators and farmers has been to keep the sickened free-ranging deer from infecting livestock animals, whether cattle or deer. State authorities require regular bovine TB screening of cattle herds and other livestock animals. Officials also encourage deer hunters to voluntarily submit deer heads to test for both bovine TB and chronic wasting disease, another infectious disease that can harm wildlife. Alcona County is within the state’s core bovine TB zone for wild deer.

State wildlife regulators will consider whether to expand bobcat hunting and trapping in the Lower Peninsula after the population of wildcats reportedly stabilized across Michigan. Michigan wildlife regulators will decide whether to expand bobcat hunting and trapping in the Lower Peninsula. The state Natural Resources Commission will meet on Feb. 10 in Lansing to consider several changes to both bobcat hunting and trapping regulations. The DNR proposals call for a uniform Lower Michigan bobcat trapping season. Bobcat hunting also may be increased by nine days in the areas with the shortest current season, bumping up from 11 to 20 days.

State agriculture regulators said routine herd testing discovered cases of bovine tuberculosis at two private cervid farms. Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced early Friday that bovine TB was found at regulated cervid facilities in Alcona and Sanilac counties. Alcona County is within the state’s core bovine TB zone, where the disease is annually found in the wild, free-ranging white-tailed deer herd. These are the fifth and sixth farmed cervid facilities in Michigan where authorities found bovine TB cases. Meanwhile, the state Department of Natural Resources each year encourages deer hunters to participate in its bovine TB check program.

A snowmobile driven by state employees is a motor vehicle under Michigan law, the state Supreme Court said, a key decision that could make taxpayers liable in a crash that injured two people.

LANSING, MI – The Department of Natural Resources stocked nearly 13.5 tons of fish in Michigan waters during its fall 2021 season. “It was another outstanding fall fish stocking season that will provide enhanced opportunities throughout Michigan,” said Ed Eisch, DNR fish production manager. Thompson State Fish Hatchery (near Manistique) stocked 349,213 fall fingerling steelhead that weighed 3,810 pounds at four locations. Several fisheries management units (Northern Lake Michigan, Southern Lake Michigan, Central Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Southern Lake Huron) also stocked fall fingerling walleyes in 2021. The Northern Lake Michigan management unit stocked 4,927 Bay De Noc strain fall fingerlings weighing 730 pounds, while the Lake Erie and Southern and Central Lake Michigan management units stocked 23,133 Muskegon strain fall fingerlings weighing 2,108 pounds.

The gray wolf was removed from the endangered list in Michigan and now officials want to know if the public thinks it should be placed back on that list.

Among Michigan’s most iconic wildlife species is the gray wolf, an apex predator and largest among wild canines that roam the fields and forests of the Upper Peninsula. Norton said DNR officials will take public comment, consult with tribal governments, and consider the forthcoming recommendations from the state’s Wolf Management Advisory Council before drafting an updated plan. Amy Trotter, executive director of Michigan United Conservation Clubs, occupies one of five seats on the state’s Wolf Management Advisory Council. Michigan’s gray wolf population was nearly extirpated by the mid-1970s because of species persecution and active state-sponsored bounty programs. Related articles:Michigan, Oregon AGs say feds improperly delisted gray wolvesEnd of federal gray wolf protections could lead to hunting in MichiganDNR calls first Michigan wolf hunt a ‘success;’ issue to continue to 2014 ballot

Michigan nature officials are encouraging residents to compost their organic holiday decorations to keep the biodegradable materials out of landfills. Experts at the state Department of Natural Resources said there are better alternatives to dumping live wreaths, garlands or Christmas trees into the trash can. Organic materials in landfills decompose and create methane, which is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and contributes to climate change.

GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, MI – Police are investigating after a man’s body was found in Grand Traverse County. UpNorthLive.com reports that foul play is not suspected, but the Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office is having an autopsy completed in Kalamazoo. RELATED: Homeless man found dead near UAW building in MichiganThe man was found in the Hoosier Valley area and the Department of Natural Resources said the person may be the same man a DNR officer encountered when his truck became stuck on state forest land on Sunday. According to the DNR, one of its officers encountered a man and a woman who had gotten their car stuck in a water hole, the TV station reported. The man has not been publicly identified.

State police said conservation officers with the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) observed a vehicle going at high speed without headlights before hitting a statue at the intersection.

LANSING -- Ready or not, here comes winter. In an effort to help Michiganders embrace the season and find safe, fun ways to explore the great outdoors, the Department of Natural Resources announced this week the launch of its new “Winter Wednesday” text alerts.

“He’s my spirit animal!” one person wrote.

ONTONAGON COUNTY, MI – Officials have learned that some residents in a small, Upper Peninsula community have been using unregulated water from an 1800s steam locomotive filling station. According to the Department of Natural Resources, the filling station once serviced the community of Lake Mine, which was first settled in 1840 and had a population of roughly 150 residents by the early 1900s. It is located northeast of Mass City in Ontonagon County.

A night in a sleeping bag is costing more at Michigan campgrounds.

LANSING, MICH. -- Michigan campers can expect to pay more for campsites and lodging at state parks and recreation areas going forward. According to the Department of Natural Resources, fees for state park campsites will increase from between $2 and $8 per night, depending on the location and day of the week. Overnight lodging will increase by $10 per night. According to the DNR, 51 percent of Michigan’s state park revenue comes from camping and overnight lodging fees, which help pay for daily operational costs as well as facility maintenance, repairs, and other needs. RELATED:How to rent winter cabins, yurts and lodges at 37 Michigan state parksMore Michigan state parks to offer tiny houses as camping alternativeCottages, safari tents among new lodging options at Michigan state parks and rec areas

LANSING, MICH. -- Boat rentals, bike rentals, camp stores and food trucks are among the Michigan state park business opportunities currently available to ‘outdoorpreneurs’ through the Department of Natural Resources. The Michigan DNR this week announced nearly two dozen concessionaire opportunities at state parks spanning from Detroit to the western Upper Peninsula. These concessionaire businesses offer goods and services not provided by state park staff, and are instead contracted to outside partners. Belle Isle Park: Bicycle rental, watercraft rental, portable toilet and handwash station rentalsGrand Haven State Park: Park store, mobile food concessionsOrtonville Recreation Area: Farm activitiesPalms Book State Park: Store and food truck concessionPontiac Lake Recreation Area: Mobile foodProud Lake Recreation Area: Watercraft rental and vending machine concessionRiverwoods: Lodging, campground and day-use areaSilver Lake State Park ORV Area: ORV rentalsSleepy Hollow State Park: Food truck and vending machineSouth Higgins State Park: Store concessionTawas Point State Park: Mobile food concessionVan Riper State Park: Beach concessionWarren Dunes State Park: Mobile food concession, watercraft rentalsWilson State Park: Water park and/or mobile foodYoung State Park: Store concessionFind more information here. RELATED:How to find the most remote camping spots in MichiganHaunted lighthouse, Halloween trail among Michigan state park fall eventsWhy Michigan’s Brockway Mountain Drive should be on your fall travel bucket list

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Successful Michigan hunters can do their part to identify deer with bovine tuberculosis. Twelve drop boxes across the northeast Lower Peninsula are now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for hunters to submit deer heads for bovine TB testing. When heading to a drop box, hunters need bring along two things: a smartphone and the head of their deer. Once at the drop box, hunters can follow the posted instructions for using their smartphone to enter contact and harvest information through an online form. Detailed drop box location information is available at Michigan.gov/DeerCheck.

The state has its eyes on 800 acres in southwestern Michigan as a possible recreation area.

A virus is being blamed on the deaths of between 300 and 600 mostly adult common carp this summer in a Detroit-area lake.

A coalition of animal rights groups has filed a lawsuit to stop Wisconsin's wolf hunt this fall.

State officials are investigating the deaths of hundreds of adult common carp at an Oakland County lake.

Michigan State Police troopers and officers with the Department of Natural Resources rescued a man from the Lodge Freeway after his vehicle was trapped by floodwaters Friday afternoon.

For those traveling in Michigan this Memorial Day, especially those with plans to go camping, environmental experts are urging people to leave the firewood at home.

SUMPTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Authorities are urging residents of Sumpter Township to avoid “outside burning of any kind” as the region is considered at high risk for wildfires Thursday. According to the Sumpter Township Police Department, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has identified the township area as being at very high risk of wildfires due to dry ground conditions. Residents are being asked to avoid any outdoor burning activities to prevent a wildland fire. Authorities say they have responded to several wildland and/or field fires in the surrounding area over the past week, and five within Sumpter Township over the last two days. Sumpter Township police say that residents whose “negligent activity leads to wildland fire and subsequent property destruction can be held liable, both criminally and civilly.”To learn more about fire safety, visit the DNR’s website right here.

What should I do if I see a coyote? According to the DNR, coyotes are rarely dangerous and are likely just looking for small animals to eat or feed their young. Here is what to do if a coyote comes close to you:Make loud noises (Yell at it, bang pots and pans, use an air horn)Make yourself look large (Put your arms up and out to look bigger)Be assertive with your toneMake eye contact (Let the coyote know that this is your space and it is not welcome)Surprise the coyote (Open an umbrella, or throw objects at it)If you’re seeing the same coyote repeatedly, you should use different methods each time you see the coyote. If you have a small dog, you should pick it up. If coyotes are doing damage on private property, a property owner or designee can take coyotes year-round and a license or written permit is not needed.

Nontribal hunters and trappers registered 216 wolves as of Thursday afternoon, blowing past the state's kill target of 119. The wolf season began Monday and was supposed to run through Sunday, but the DNR shut it down Wednesday afternoon as it became clear hunters would exceed the target. Hunters and trappers also exceeded their kill targets in the three previous wolf seasons but never by more than 10 animals. The state sold 1,547 permits, which equates to 13 hunters or trappers per wolf in the target number, the highest ratio of any wolf season so far. Animal advocates have been urging the state to move quickly on reintroduction, but state officials say they want to move slowly.

Hunters and trappers exceeded their target in all six of the state's management zones. Wisconsin law hands wolf hunters and trappers significant advantages during the season. Unlike with deer hunting, wolf hunters and trappers can operate at night and use dogs to corner wolves. Wayne Pacelle, president of animal rights group Animal Wellness Action, said in a statement Wednesday that killed Wisconsin wolves didn't stand a chance. Lawmakers in neighboring Minnesota have introduced dueling bills that would ban wolf hunting and establish a season.

LENAEWEE COUNTY, Mich. – A 28-year-old man has died after a snowmobile operator crashed into his ice shanty on Devils Lake in Lenawee County, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. DNR officials said upon arrival, they discovered a snowmobile tangled in debris from the ice shanty, and the 28-year-old from Jerome was found lying in the debris. The 33-year-old snowmobile operator from Hudson was treated for minor injuries and voluntarily submitted to a toxicology blood draw. AdAccording to DNR, speed is the No. READ: Metro Detroit road crews out in full force ahead of winter stormREAD: ‘No ice is safe ice’ -- Police issue warning after snowmobile rider killed breaking through ice on Wolverine lake

OSTEGO COUNTY, Mich. – Three Northern Michigan men have been arraigned in a 2019 Pigeon River Country elk poaching case. Officials said the three men are responsible for what Department of Natural Resources conservation officers call a “historic elk poaching case.”They were arraigned in the Otsego County 87A District Court. All three men pleaded not guilty to a total of eight wildlife crimes after admitting to poaching three cow elk in Pigeon River Country in December of 2019. Harry White, 70, of West Branch was arraigned on three charges: taking an over-limit of elk, failing to make a reasonable effort to retrieve elk and taking elk in the wrong hunting unit. “Without our officers’ professional commitment to pursuit of the facts, these suspects would have gotten away with one of the worst elk poaching incidents I have ever seen.

LANSING, Mich. – Beech leaf disease has been added to Michigan’s invasive species watch list and state officials are asking residents to be on the lookout for trees infested with the damaging disease. Beech leaf disease is associated with a microscopic worm that enters and spends the winter in leaf buds. It causes damage to leaf tissue on American beech and European and Asian beech species resulting in darkened, thick tissue bands between leaf veins, creating a striped effect on the leaves, leaf distortion and bud mortality. Michigan is home to about 32 million American beech trees. “Many questions about beech leaf disease remain unanswered,” said Simeon Wright, a DNR forest health specialist.

GARDEN, Mich. – A 64-year-old man drowned in a Lake Michigan bay when his off-road vehicle hit open water, authorities said. Edward Lester of Garden was at Big Bay De Noc, off Delta County, for ice fishing Thursday. Ice in the area was 4 to 5 inches thick but "recent high winds caused the crack to open,” said Lt. Eugene “Skip” Hagy of the Department of Natural Resources. Pressure cracks are very hazardous and can occur very fast, particularly on large bodies of water,” Hagy said. Authorities were contacted when Lester’s wife said he had not returned from a routine fishing trip.

MANISTEE, Mich. – A pavilion at a state park in northern Michigan has been relocated from an eroding shoreline. The shelter at Orchard Beach State Park now is 230 feet from Lake Michigan in Manistee, the Department of Natural Resources said. The shelter stood for more than 70 years on a bluff, which has become unstable due to waves and rising water levels. Orchard Beach State Park is 60 miles southwest of Traverse City. Along with the park, the pavilion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

LANSING, Mich. – Nearly $2 million in recreation grants will go to local park and trail improvements and developments. The DNR’s recreation passport program has awarded about $12.7 million in grants since being introduced in 2010. The program is tied to license plate registration renewals and more than a third of Michigan registered vehicles now have the recreation passport on their license plate tabs. Ten percent of every recreation passport sale goes to the grant program. “Those visitors represent a direct investment in state parks and local parks, because about $1 from every Recreation Passport purchased funds those local park and recreation grants.”