An Idea Turned Law – The MUCC Grassroots Policy Process

lschultz • November 18, 2019

Written by Ian FitzGerald, MUCC Policy Assistant

It is with great pride and joy that I notify you of a 2016 MUCC resolution that was passed into law at the November Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting.  The rule amended the spring turkey hunting regulations to allow for a Saturday opener on the second to last Saturday in April on both public and private lands statewide and for each subsequent season. For reference, the spring turkey hunting regulations are considered on a three-year cycle.

A resolution urging MUCC to advocate for a Saturday opener was passed at Annual Convention in 2016, and we tried to urge the NRC that fall for a change in the regulations. We were unsuccessful. Three years later, we still had this issue on our minds. I testified last month before the commission urging for consideration of a Saturday opener which would provide greater opportunity for hunters. After talking with commissioners and realizing no biological impact, the NRC amended the regulations to include a Saturday opener last week. 

An MUCC resolution starts with your idea. Your idea such as increasing hunter access, opportunity, safety or satisfaction. That resolution is then taken to Conservation Policy Board meetings where a body of members and MUCC representatives from around the state debate and vote on the resolution. If passed, the resolution makes it on to our MUCC Annual Convention which will be held in Sault Ste. Marie June 26-28, 2020. If passed, this resolution becomes MUCC policy and we go to work on your behalf at the NRC, in the Michigan Legislature or on Capitol Hill.

Currently, there are vacancies on the Conservation Policy Board. Regions one (western Upper Peninsula), two (eastern Upper Peninsula), three (northwest Lower Peninsula) and four (northeast Lower Peninsula) have open board positions. The entire policy board will be up for election in June of 2020. If you are interested in the policymaking process and would like to serve as a Conservation Policy Board member, please contact me. 

The next Conservation Policy Board meeting is on Dec. 7 at Hillsdale County Conservation Club. Register here . Hillsdale County Conservation Club is located at 3835 Bird Lake Rd S, Osseo, MI 49266. Lunch is at noon and the committee meeting starts at 12:30 p.m. MUCC members and the public are welcomed and encouraged to attend. 

If you have a resolution that you would like to submit or have more questions about our grassroots policy, please contact me at ifitzgerald@mucc.org .

Recent Posts

The Legacy of Michigan Logging

By Olivia Triltsch • April 24, 2025
Historically, Michigan experienced a lumber era in which the state was a leading producer for 50 years starting in 1860.

MUCC celebrates a successful Clinton River Cleanup

By Katelyn Helsel • April 23, 2025
Rochester Hills, MI — On the Ground, MUCC’s volunteer stewardship program, celebrated its 250th habitat improvement project in Oakland County this past weekend. In partnership with Metro-West Steelheaders and the Clinton River Watershed Council , 62 volunteers removed more than 460 pounds of trash from the Clinton River watershed and surrounding areas, restoring more than 80 acres of fish and wildlife habitat. Volunteers focused on picking up trash and other debris in the river near Yates Park and along various walking trails near the Yates Cider Mill. Many different items were collected, including a couple of tires, fishing line, old cans, a sign, and even a car bumper. “We definitely wanted to clean up as much trash as possible because that's going to help the watershed as a whole, and it’s going to clean up the river for both humans aesthetically, and also the animals that live in it, and create safer drinking water” said Olivia Triltsch, MUCC’s Habitat Program and Partnerships Coordinator.

Mayflies, Stoneflies, and Caddisflies, Oh My!

By Olivia Triltsch • April 17, 2025
In addition to their impact on water quality, these three orders of insects are an important part of the diet of game fish, making anglers, especially fly fishermen, interested in the conservation of these small animals.
More Posts