http://virtual.mucc.com/index.php en gvanwormer@mucc.org Copyright 2010 2010-07-28T13:35:21+00:00 http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/all_night_long/ http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/all_night_long/#When:13:35:21Z This weekend marked the 63rd Au Sable River Canoe Marathon and the biggest field ever to start the race. Over 100 teams registered for the race and after drops, 94 teams made the run down the concrete and put in their boat at the Old Au Sable fly shop in downtown Grayling. There are certain traditions every michigander should witness firsthand in a lifetime. November 15th in a deer blind is one, walking the Mackinac bridge is another. Screaming and cheering at the start of the ARCM is definitely near the top of my recommendations to experience. And, if you are up for the challenge, follow it on down during the night and get to know some of the teams competing and their bank running crews. Throughout the night, you drive along winding northern Michigan roads to bridges and areas where you can catch a glimpse of the racers, pulling on their paddles for the finish line. Paddlers will cover 120 miles in their journey down stream and there are numerous places to stop and see them pass. This year the favorites before the race were back-to-back defending champs, Andrew Triebold and Steve Lajoie. These two had teamed up to win three previous marathons together and Triebold added another win with local, Matt Rimer in 2007. There were a couple of prospects to upset them. Steve Corlew was teamed up with veteran of 25 marathons, Bill Torongo. Both guys had knocked on the door a couple times but had never crossed the finish line first. The Halsteads were the last team that had arrived in Oscoda ahead of Triebold in the marathon, finishing 2nd in 2006. But, as the gun sounded at 9pm, Andy and Steve had a half boat length on the field as they rounded the street corner and by the time they left Grayling city limits, they were already a bend ahead. Until Mio dam, Corlew and Torongo kept the gap somewhat close but after the long run in front of the fans, they dropped back and settled into good tempo and finished about 13 minutes behind canoe #1. The race for mixed team title was the best one to watch this year. At the start, the husband/wife teams of Tom and Connie Cannon, Al Limberg and Barb Bradley and the Forge Racing team of Holly Reynolds and Jeff Rankinen were neck and neck. But, in the end, the Cannons pulled ahead and never looked back. Like always, the last full weekend in July was an exciting one. The racers are now headed for the final leg of the Triple Crown in Canada. Triebold and Lajoie have swepted the last few and are poised to do it again. So until next year, the teams have their work cut out for them. It's a grueling sport but, to hear the fans cheer your name in the wee hours of the night is worth it. Tales of the Tape 2010-07-28T13:35:21+00:00 http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/white_house_to_name_carp_czar_u.s._senate_panel_investigates_the_latest/ http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/white_house_to_name_carp_czar_u.s._senate_panel_investigates_the_latest/#When:10:58:32Z The Water and Power Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week received testimony from the White House and other top environmental agencies in charge of the Asian carp crisis.  The hearing, chaired by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) purged the federal government's latest assessment of the issue as Great Lakes lawmakers push legislation sponsored by Stabenow and U.S. Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI) that would force the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to speed up its analysis on the feasibility of hydrologically separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds. That legislation was introduced promptly after the first live Asian carp was found beyond electric barriers in Lake Calumet last month. While that legislation may face a steep political climb with an Administration that has been anything but expedient in addressing the Carp issue, it appears to be more politically feasible than the common sense initiative pushed earlier this year, also by Stabenow and Camp. That legislation (the "CARP ACT") would instead force the Corps to immediately close navigational locks in Chicago in order to buy time for more comprehensive long-term studies on how to permanently separate the watersheds. Besides the major effective disparity between the proposals, the major factor which may push the latest one out of purgatory is the support of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). Durbin, a harsh critic of lock closure who responded to Michigan's Supreme Court lawsuit to close the locks by suggesting that the Asian carp solution be solved "in the halls of Congress" appears to have gotten got his wish. While Michigan and other Great Lakes states battled the Chicago political machine - including Durbin - earlier this year on this issue, Durbin appears now to be joining the "Stop Asian Carp" bandwagon in a convenient, less controversial manner by supporting "speeding up a feasibility study" instead of immediately closing the locks.  "Asian Carp Czar" Last week Durbin and other Great Lakes lawmakers also succeeded in convincing the White House to appoint an Asian carp "Czar" to oversee the federal government's action on preventing the fish from entering the Great Lakes. The appointment is expected to be named within a month. While this news keeps the Asian carp issue atop headlines in the Great Lakes region and nationwide, all it really confirms is politics as usual. The reality:  Collective federal agencies really do have a magnificent engineering feet ahead of them if they are going to succeed in permanently separating the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes. And that's going to take awhile. Meanwhile, however, there is absolutely zero interest by the Administration (and Sen. Durbin for that matter) to go against the grain of the Windy City politicians and shipping industry to do the right thing by closing the locks now while the studies are conducted.  In fact, top White House environmental aide Nancy Sutely's answer in last week's hearing to the question of the Administration's inaction on lock closure was astounding. Sutely suggested that because no more Asian carp have been caught beyond the electric barriers, there really is not an urgency to take such drastic measures. That was the same familiar argument we heard before a live Asian carp was found beyond the barriers when the White House downplayed the significance of Asian carp eDNA being detected as opposed to live fish. Give credit where credit is due. All of this exhausting rhetoric comes in spite of the tremendous amount of support that Michigan's Congressional delegation has led with the assistance of other Great Lakes lawmakers. In a bi-partisan, bi-cameral fashion, they have worked tirelessly to keep this issue at the forefront (See Stabenow's latest op-ed following last week's hearing in The Hill). MUCC is looking forward to joining other Great Lakes advocates in a September Washington rally (Date TBD), for the second time this year in order to help bolster the Michigan Congressional delegation's leadership with grassroots advocacy directed at the Administration. Threat spreads beyond Chicago Meanwhile at the hearing, officials answered questions regarding recent reports that juvenile Asian carp have been discovered in Indiana's Wabash River, a short distance and within the floodplain of the Maumee River, which connects to Lake Erie. Worried about the potential for flooding to connect the two rivers, which could result in Asian carp invading Lake Erie, the U.S. Geological Survey conceded that studies are currently being conducted to construct permanent berms that would block the fish from spreading in the event of a flood. An official from the USGS testified that a solution would "be fairly simple ... compared to that in Chicago." Government officials also confirmed, however, that if Asian carp were to inhabit the Lake-Erie connecting Maumee River, there's little doubt that the invasive species would flourish in that habitat currently dominated by a popular walleye sportfishery. Last week, Indiana Department of Natural Resources officials also announced a plan to construct a mesh barrier along a 700 acre marsh separating the Wabash and Maumee Rivers to prevent potential fish spillover in the event of a flood. The barrier is expected to be completed by the end of the summer.  The creation of a "Asian Carp Czar" and necessity of legislation ordering the expedition of an already urgent study is pretty ridiculous. Perhaps it is one step in the right direction out of political gridlock between Great Lakes states and Chicago politicians. Let's hope it's not just another worthless compromise that's already too late - for the sake of our fishing heritage and the economic sustenence provided by our Great Lakes. Camo At The Capitol, Dave Nyberg 2010-07-19T10:58:32+00:00 http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/nrc_meeting_update/ http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/nrc_meeting_update/#When:00:44:21Z Unfortunately we were unable to stream today's NRC meeting but I did want to give an update from info provided by Amy Spray, one of our policy staffers. There were two issues of keen interest to Michigan hunters on the docket: antler restrictions in the TB area and the possible expansion of crossbow use in Michigan. The antler point issue was up for action. The original proposal was to establish minimum antler point restrictions on all bucks in DMU 487 in an effort to put more focus on doe harvest in the area. The NRC did not feel that there was enough scientific evidence that such regulations would increase the doe kill in that area and instead Commissioner JR Richardson offered an amnendment that would implement the same regulations in place in the U.P. -- you can shoot one buck of your choice or two bucks, one of which must have three points on a side, the other four points on a side. On the crossbow issue, the measure was up for discussion with action coming next month. There are three options on the table: Option 1 would expand crossbow use in northern Michigan., Option 2 would maintain existing regulations and Option 3 would be full inclusion of crossbows throughout the state during all archery seasons. At this point, it's really anyone's guess as to where that one will end up. So the August NRC meeting should be interesting -- and we will try to have the live stream going for that one but the location could hinder that. Head Hunter 2010-07-09T00:44:21+00:00 http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/new_commissioner_appointed_to_nrc/ http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/new_commissioner_appointed_to_nrc/#When:15:36:36Z Well this is interesting. As her days as Michigan's Governor dwindle, Jennifer Granholm has made a few appointments to the Natural Resources Commission and the Natural Resources Trust Fund. John Matonich, of Davison, was nominated to fill the spot being vacated by Keith Charters whose term has expired. Matonich is CEO and president of Rowe Professional Services, a land surveying firm.. Granholm also re-appointed John Madigan of Munising and JR Richardson of Ontanagon. Meanwhile, Keith Charters was appointed to the Natural Resources Trust Fund Board. What's so interesting about these appointments? Well, these are political appointments. It makes some sense to fill Charters' seat on the NRC as his term has expired. But Madigan and Richardson's terms are not yet up. I have a feeling that the Senate -- which has to approve these appointments -- may decide to disapprove and let the new Governor make their own appointments. That's not a knock against Madigan or Richardson. Both have been productive members of the NRC. But this is one of those outdoors issues that's rife with politics and it would stand to reason that the incoming Governor would want to make their own appointments and a strong case can be made that these lame duck appointments won't stand. Either way, we'll stay on top of this and keep everyone informed on what's happening. MUCC has already scheduled a meeting with Matonich to learn more about him and his background in the outdoors and we will share those details as soon as we can. Head Hunter 2010-07-07T15:36:36+00:00 http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/bills_introd_to_separate_great_lakes_from_chicagos_asian_carp_spigot/ http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/bills_introd_to_separate_great_lakes_from_chicagos_asian_carp_spigot/#When:14:46:15Z In the latest Asian carp news since the Army Corps of Engineers announced last week that they will not be taking measures to hydrologically separate the Great Lakes from the Chicago Area Water System (CAWS), U.S. Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI) and Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today announced yet another bi-partisan, bi-cameral legislative initiative to stop Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes. After the first live Asian carp (Bighead Carp) was caught beyond electric barriers in Lake Calumet, Stabenow and Camp joined forces again in announcing the "Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act of 2010," which was introduced by Camp in the House and by Stabenow in the Senate. Each member of Michigan's Congressional delegation co-sponsored the legislation. The Act would require the Army Corps to immediately conduct a feasibility study of the CAWS to determine the best means of implementing a permanent hydrological separation of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins to prevent the introduction or establishment of aquatic invasive species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins though the CAWS and other aquatic pathways.  In other words, Stabenow and Camp's bills would force the Army Corps to get their act together on finding a permanant separation of Asian carp from the Great Lakes. Interstingly enough, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin joined the anti-carp party by co-sponsoring the Senate bill. Durbin said, "Last week’s discovery of an Asian Carp in Lake Calumet was a wake-up call that we need to do more and we need to do it quickly...We can’t wait while the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies broadly examine methods of controlling invasive species; we must act now." Wow - this is welcome news, but it sure would have been nice to hear this sentiment from Durbin when Michigan was calling for a "close the locks now, study later" approach back in January. In fact, Durbin was one of the loudest critics of Michigan AG Mike Cox's petition in the U.S. Supreme Court to force temporary closure of the locks until studies could be conducted to determine best methods to hydrologically separate Asian carp from the Great Lakes while imposing minimal effects on commerce. While I guess Durbin was not willing to "act now" before live Asian carp were caught past the barrier, I guess it's better late than never. Camp, Stabenow, and company should be applauded for once again quickly introducing legislation to stop Asian carp, however, it's unfortunate that this time it had to be at the political whim of Illinois and AFTER a live carp has already been found past the barrier (Recall, Stabenow and Camp teamed up earlier this year to introduce the CARP ACT, which also would have forced immediate, temporary closure of the locks in order to buy time for similar studies to what they're proposing now). If passed, the feasibility study must begin within 30 days of the bill’s enactment and would be completed 18 months after the bill is enacted. At this point it seems kind of ridiculous to be pushing for an "expedited study" that will take 18 months, but in all fairness I suppose hydrologically separating the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River is a very significant engineering feat. With the sudden sense of urgency, perhaps in the meantime it makes sense to pass the CARP ACT and close the locks until the study is completed? Of course it makes sense, but that's probably why it will not happen in Congress. For now, unfortunately, we must push for legislation to force the Army Corps to do their job. Camo At The Capitol, Dave Nyberg 2010-06-30T14:46:15+00:00 http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/breaking_supreme_court_rules_local_and_state_governments_are_bound_by_2nd_a/ http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/breaking_supreme_court_rules_local_and_state_governments_are_bound_by_2nd_a/#When:15:46:29Z Finally some good news to report out of the U.S. Supreme Court. Just moments ago, the Court issued a decision in McDonald v. Chicago, which effectively affirms that the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms applies equally to state and local governments, as it does to the federal government. The 5-4 ruling all but formally overturns Chicago's 30-year-old citywide gun ban. Michigan United Conservation Clubs and Michigan OutofDoors Magazine applaud this historic reaffirmation of the right to keep and bear arms! For my fellow legal nerds who would like to read the opinion, you may access it HERE Camo At The Capitol, Dave Nyberg 2010-06-28T15:46:29+00:00 http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/carpageddon_draws_near/ http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/carpageddon_draws_near/#When:14:26:55Z This past Wednesday, the Asian carp crisis reached yet an even higher sense of urgency (if you can believe it) when commercial fishermen working with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources netted a Bighead Carp in Lake Calumet, beyond the electric barriers in the Chicago Water Way System (CWWS) and only six miles from Lake Michigan. The 35 inch, 20 pound Bighead Carp is the first live specimen of Asian carp to be found beyond the electric barriers since Asian carp eDNA was found beyond the barriers and in Lake Michigan in December and January. You probably already knew all of this if you're an angler who's concerned about the future of our fishing heritage and way of life.  If so, your sense of frustration has probably also reached new levels as the Army Corps of Engineers has responded with no plans to close the T.J. O'Brien Lock and Dam - which sits between Lake Calumet and Lake Michigan. Fidling while Rome burns? This is clearly a big deal, but who's in charge here? Back in February you may recal the Federal Government's response to Asian carp eDNA being discovered beyond the electric barriers was to hold a few "town-hall" type meetings in Illinois and Michigan, where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources floated their collective plan to battle Asian Carp - the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework, which was finalized in May. According to that plan, the Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a "Great Lakes and Mississippi River Inter-Basin Study" to determine how to close off the Great Lakes from Asian carp devastation. Basically, it's a fancy way of saying they're going to study how to separate the basins for three years before making a decision on how to proceed. Sign our Letter to President Obama! Over the past few months, MUCC and the Metro West Steelheaders have been collecting signatures for a letter to President Obama, asking him to take serious action on Asian carp, including temporarily closing the locks and implementing a permanent hydrologic separation between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes. With 7,000 signatures and counting, we plan to make a big announcement when the letter is sent to the President. Please read the letter and consider signing-on your support. At least somebody's doing something... New news came out today that members of the U.S. House and Senate are taking legislative action to speed up, well...action: (1) First off, a bi-partisan delegation of Great Lakes champions (Rep. Dingell (D-MI), Rep. Ehlers (R-MI), Sen. Levin (D-MI) and Sen. Voinovich (R-OH)) are circulating a letter to President Obama, urging him to immediately strenghen the barrier and implement all other measures necessary to stop Asian carp from migrating into the Great Lakes. The letter also asks the Obama Administration to expedite the Inter-Basin Study mentioned above to develop an aggressive strategy for permanent hydrologic separation. With the Prez in charge, this is a huge step to place bi-partisan, bi-cameral pressure on him to order the Army Corps to take action.  What you can do: Contact your Congressman and urge them to sign the Asian carp letter! The deadline is Tuesday, June 29. (2) Second, Michigan U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and Illinois U.S. Senator Richard Durbin are planning to introduce new legislation on Tuesday, June 29 that will require the Army Corps to conduct a study on the feasibility and best means of implementing the hydrologic separation of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and other aquatic pathways. The bill would require the study to be completed within 18 months (as opposed to the current 3 year plan outlined in the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework) and puts the White House Center for Environmental Quality in a position to ensure that the study gets done on time. While it does seem ridiculous to call for an 18 month study when Asian carp are just miles away from Lake Michigan, I'm sure the whole hydrologic separation of two major waterways does involve some pretty intense planning. This bill is a progressive step in the right direction, and it also has the support of Illinois' powerful Sen. Durbin. Please consider also consider contacting your Congressman to urge them to become original cosponsors of this bill before its introduced on Tuesday, June 29. With the news regarding these legislative initiatives coming in late Friday, June 25, there's surely more to come.  Please be sure to check back for updates to stay informed and find out how you can help make a difference in putting pressure on the Obama Administration to take serious actions to stop Asian carp. Camo At The Capitol, Dave Nyberg 2010-06-25T14:26:55+00:00 http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/antler_restriction_meeting_dates_set/ http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/antler_restriction_meeting_dates_set/#When:13:16:50Z As reported in Michigan OutofDoors Magazine, the Natural Resources Commission tabled a decision on antler point restrictions in the TB area of the northeast Lower Peninsula (DMU 487) at its June meeting. The issue will resurface in July after a pair of meetings are held in an effort to further educate the public as to the rationale behind the measures. Those meeting dates have now been released: -- June 22, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Harrisville Township Hall, 114 S. Poor Farm Rd. (located off of M-72, two miles west of Harrisville), and -- June 23, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Alpena Civic Center, 133 Johnson St., Alpena. Meetings will be attended by both local and Lansing wildlife officials. Details regarding the proposal and anticipated results will be provided and a question and answer period will follow. Time will be reserved to accommodate those interested in having one-on-one or small group discussions with DNRE staff. The proposal would require at least three antler points on one side for each buck taken in the DMU. "The Department has been making strides towards TB eradication by reducing deer numbers and the concentration of deer at baiting and feeding locations for the past 15 years," said DNRE Wildlife Veterinarian Steve Schmitt. "But, while the long-range trends have reflected reductions in deer numbers and TB, progress has stalled over the last five or more years." "We're aiming to take regulations further than past approaches to simply provide ample opportunity for hunters to take does," said Brent Rudolph, DNRE Deer and Elk Program leader. "The proposal is intended to work in conjunction with a recently adopted regulation change - allowing antlerless deer to be taken under a firearm or combination license in the regular firearm or muzzleloader seasons in that area - to direct harvest towards those segments of the deer population that will aid the most in TB eradication efforts." Head Hunter 2010-06-17T13:16:50+00:00 http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/30_30_recovery/ http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/30_30_recovery/#When:12:53:25Z Well, it's been a few days since we finished our 30/30 fish-a-thon and finally, I think I'm not only caught up on sleep but also got all my fishing gear back in order. Talk about a wild ride! This was an unbelievable trip. Arriving in the Traverse City region a week ago, Tony and I had all sorts of interviews and news media to attend to. Once that was somewhat taken care of, we hit the water for an afternoon of fishing. Nailing down a couple species, we had Monday morning to pre-fish again before the media kick-off event at Gander Mountain at 1pm. I hit the boardman river pretty hard and Tony once again targeted an inland lake nearby. By Monday night, we had nailed down some plans that included Tony starting on Duck Lake and me hitting the port of Frankfort the following morning for the 7am start time. At 7am, I was standing on the deck of the Nibbles, a charter boat captained by Wes Newberry, one of the premier boats in Frankfort. We had lines set at 6:45 in anticipation, just hoping the first hit didn't go till after 7. On the boat with me were MUCC Executive Director Erin McDonough,  Intern Mike Nelson running the camera and first mate Ryan Matuzak who was helping us out for this whole event and runs his own boat called Streaker. A few hours later, I had 5 species of fish and was heading back towards Traverse City and Tony who was wittling away on the bass and panfish species. All in all, it was a hectic, crazy, tiring and sometimes utterly frustrating journey that accomplished exactly what we had set out to do. We showed just how diverse our fishery is here in Michigan and how much we stand to lose by allowing asian carp into the Great Lakes. We are currently putting together the video from the event and should have that up shortly on the website. Until then, I guess I'll be heading out fishing for one specie at a time. Seems so boring now... Tales of the Tape 2010-06-14T12:53:25+00:00 http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/public_meetings_planned_statewide_to_receive_input_on_proposed_trout_regs/ http://www.michiganoutofdoors.com/index.php/news-blogs/comments/public_meetings_planned_statewide_to_receive_input_on_proposed_trout_regs/#When:17:12:48Z The Department of Natural Resource and Environment (DNRE) is planning a series of statewide public meetings on proposed changes to trout fishing regulations to give anglers a chance to provide input on the draft plan. A copy of the draft plan is available online to review at www.michigan.gov/dnrfishing. A year ago, the DNRE's Fisheries Division presented a proposal to the public for modifying regulations governing fishing for trout on Michigan's streams. After extensive public solicitation for response to the proposals, a decision was made in the fall of 2009 to move forward only with combining existing Type 5, 6, and 7 streams into a new "Gear Restricted Waters" category. In January 2010, the DNRE again solicited public comment on what streams might be proposed for inclusion in the Gear Restricted Waters category. Subsequent to that comment period, a draft proposal has been developed with the help of the Fisheries Division's Coldwater Committee. While MUCC is a member of the Coldwater Committee, because the organization does not have specific policy on adding additional gear restrictions, our involvement to this point has been only to encourage anglers to submit their own personal comments on the proposal. Now that the draft proposal is now ready for public review, MUCC encourages anglers provide comment through a set of public meetings around Michigan. After reviewing the comments gathered during the public review meetings, recommendations will be incorporated into Fisheries Order 200. The order will then be presented for information at the September meeting of the Natural Resources Commission. Any changes to Fisheries Order 200 that are approved by the DNRE Director in the fall of 2010 will take effect on April 1, 2011. The schedule of public meetings remaining are as follows: Western Lake Superior Management Unit: 7 p.m. (Eastern) Tuesday, June 22, at the Negaunee Township Hall, 42 M-35, Negaunee 6 p.m. (Central) Thursday, June 24, at Gogebic Community College, E4946 Jackson St., Ironwood. Lake Erie Management Unit: 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, at the Rochester City Hall Auditorium, 1000 Rochester Hills Dr., Rochester Hills Northern Lake Michigan Management Unit: 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 16, at the Dickinson County Library, 401 Iron Mountain St., Iron Mountain. 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, at the Escanaba DNRE Pocket Park, 2401 12th Ave. North, Escanaba Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit: 7 p.m. Thursday, June 24, at the Maud Preston Memorial Library, 500 Market St., St. Joseph. Headlines From The Outdoors, MUCC Staff 2010-06-11T17:12:48+00:00