Camp Clean Up Had a Great Turn Out!

lschultz • May 10, 2019

Spring is finally here and last weekend we put out the call for volunteers to help with our annual spring camp clean up. We held this annual event on May 3rd and had a great turn out. This event brings volunteers and staff down to Cedar Lake to get the property cleaned up and ready for the spring/summer season. As is true to form of MUCC members and those connected in the conservation community people came out in droves. On Friday the 3rd, more than 50 volunteers give a full day of work towards prepping the camp.
We had 11 employees from the Chelsea Proving Grounds Chrysler-Fiat organization donate their time to make a difference down at camp. This is the 6th year this group has come out and they always are ready to work and help make a difference for the kids. The Chrysler group worked on cutting a couple of large trees we dropped over the winter so the campers will have firewood, they also put in the dock and helped to start building our low ropes challenge course.

While they were focusing on their work, we had staff from MUCC headquarters including Amy Trotter, Nick Green, Ian Fitzgerald, Logan Schultz and Morgan Warda working in the lodge to get it prepped for the season. This group stained upgrades to the archery range cleaned bathrooms and cabins and pitched in by scrubbing all of the stainless steel in the kitchen including the chest freezers and the ovens and stove. Overall, the volunteers filled a dumpster in less than 2 hours and they were tearing through the assigned chores. We also installed a new three-compartment sink and continued the renovations on the art building and health office.

Other groups of volunteers were working on the grounds, and general sprucing up of the cabins. They worked on raking and blowing pine needles off the roofs and did a bit of brush hauling. Groups representing Southeastern Michigan Conservation Club, Chelsea Rod and Gun Club, Livingston County Wildlife and Conservation Club, Metro-west Steelheaders, Huron Sportsman Association, as well as some of our previous staff and campers were out in force and getting things done.

Camp started the weekend with a chore list of more than 30 things and with the help of our volunteers, we were able to accomplish each thing on the list. With everyone pitching in and donating their time, the camp is in fine shape as the season draws near. It was a great event!
Now that the facility has returned to its early season form, we will be turning our attention to filling the last few camper registration spots. We still have some availability in camps for the 9-11-year-olds and we still have several spots for our fully sponsored (free) Riley Wilderness Youth Camp. To sign up or for more information visit our website www.mucccamp.org
We also have a few PAID staff positions we need to fill including male and female counselors and a Waterfront Director. If you are looking for a summer job working with kids and being outdoors, email your resume to mbass@mucc.org!

Recent Posts

Michigan Senators Drop New License Fee Package

By Justin Tomei • May 2, 2025
Yesterday, Senators John Cherry (D-Flint) and Jon Bumstead (R-North Muskegon) released a standalone license fee package, overhauling the fees associated for hunters, trappers, and anglers, and creating new revenue for the Department of Natural Resources. Senate Bills 276 and 277 referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee, represent the newest proposal to fund the DNR after the failure of HB 6229 in late 2024. The legislation would fund the DNR with additional license fees, and a backfill mechanism to reimburse the department for several license discounts, and lost commission to license vendors. This legislation is a project from the senators and differs dramatically from the executive proposed budget earlier this year. Some new costs as proposed in the legislation: Base License: $15 Hunt/Fish Combo: $100 Complete License: $150 All Species Fish: $30 Deer License: $25 (Combo is $50) Antlerless Deer License: $5 (mandated 80% discount from the $25) Child Deer License: $10 (new license) Mentored Hunting License: $10 Turkey: $18 Bear: $30 Elk: $125 Waterfowl: $18 Fur Harvester: $18 Bobcat: $30 (new paid kill tag) In addition to a base license, a combination hunt/fish license, and an all-species fishing license, a $5 surcharge will be included, the funding from the surcharge is restricted to Hunters Feeding Michigan, the Michigan Wildlife Council, and a newly created hunting and fishing education recruitment fund. All licenses will be tied to the Consumer Price Index providing a permanent mechanism for license fees to keep up with inflation. Sen. Cherry said this bill is not a DNR or Executive proposal, but rather a passion project from a pair of hunters. "My friend senator Bumstead and myself started this package as a passion project of two Michigan hunters. The goal of this package is to ensure the DNR has the resources it needs to protect, manage, and improve our great natural resources. We strove to create a mechanism to invest in protecting our hunting and fishing heritage and better align our deer licensing structure to reflect the modern realities of Michigan's deer herd, all while minimizing the burden on Michigan's hunters, trappers, and anglers,” said Sen. Cherry. “I look forward to continuing this work with my Senate and House colleagues to deliver good policy for the people of the State of Michigan." Sen. Bumstead reiterated his passion for this legislation, and the need to ensure the DNR has the funds necessary to properly manage all the state's natural resources. “As an avid outdoorsman with a passion for hunting and conservation work, it was imperative to me that I was involved in this legislative package. Senator Cherry and I got together to work on this package to help ensure that our hunting and fishing cultures can continue to thrive in our state. What we have introduced here, is a product of bills that reflects the input of our sportsman communities and the needs of the DNR to continue protecting and managing habitats and species in Michigan, while minimizing the financial impact of these changes on our hunters,” said Sen. Bumstead. “I am proud of the work that Senator Cherry and I have done thus far and am eager to continue working with my Senate and House counterparts to provide necessary and meaningful policy changes to protect our state’s hunting and fishing heritage.” Michigan United Conservation Clubs supports long-term, sustainable funding solutions for the Department of Natural Resources that ensure the continued protection and enhancement of our natural resources, fish and wildlife populations, and access to outdoor recreation. The organization will continue to monitor this, and another proposal for increased DNR funding.

OTG Volunteers Needed in St. Clair and Wayne/Monroe Counties

By Olivia Triltsch • May 1, 2025
Volunteers are needed on Saturday, May 10th, from 9 AM to 12 PM to plant trees and on Saturday, May 17th, from 9 AM to 2 PM to clean up a watershed in a local State Game Area.

Species Spotlight: The Kirtland's Warbler

By Katelyn Helsel • April 30, 2025
As spring gets fully underway and the warmer weather hits, many birds are in the process of migrating back to Michigan. The Cornell University Lab of Ornithology reports that during peak migration periods, as many as one billion birds could be in the skies in a single night. Michigan is home to many migratory birds, from small red-wing blackbirds to larger sandhill cranes. One migratory species you might see, more so if you live in northern Michigan, is the rare Kirtland’s warbler. This bird has a long and detailed conservation story and has come back from the brink of extinction with the help of strong conservation efforts.
More Posts