FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2010 

Contacts: Maia Stephens 989-225-8573 or Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014

DNRE Recreation Division Seeking Partners and Sponsors for 2010

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is seeking
sponsors, partners and volunteers for programs and events happening
throughout Michigan state parks and recreation areas.

Every year, Michigan’s 98 state parks and recreation areas host more
than 22 million annual visitors, who enjoy more than 500 events to
encourage people to “GO-Get Outdoors,” introduce participants to new
recreational opportunities, hone the skills of experienced enthusiasts,
and encourage experts to explore all the outdoor adventures Michigan has
to offer.

“Our goal is to create mutually beneficial relationships with
individuals and businesses to provide the gear, expertise and
information Michigan residents and visitors need to create a lifelong
relationship with the outdoors,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNRE
Recreation Division.  “We want to promote Michigan as a premier
destination for outdoor recreation for people of all ages, interests and
abilities.  Through creative partnerships and sponsors, we will continue
to pass on the tradition of responsible recreation for generations to
come.”

Sponsorship and partnership opportunities range from title sponsorships
and equipment donations, to on-site volunteers for instruction and
safety.  There are numerous opportunities to help support Michigan’s
great outdoors.  To find the best opportunity for your business or
organization, contact Maia Stephens, DNRE recreational programmer, at
989-225-8573 or stephensm3@michigan.gov.

“GO-Get Outdoors” is a series of continuous, special events
designed to encourage all people, and especially families, to take
advantage of the many outdoor recreational opportunities that are
available in this great state.  For a list of events taking place at
Michigan state parks, recreation areas and boating facilities, visit the
Get Outdoor Calendar at www.michigan.gov/dnrgogetoutdoors.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is committed to the
conservation, protection, management, and accessible use and enjoyment
of the state’s environment, natural resources, and related economic
interests for current and future generations.

Background

The Copper Country Chapter of Trout Unlimited board, at their March meeting discussed a "grass roots" effort from our membership to email/snail mail our politicians with what they should do with respect to the Asian Carp (AC) issue. We feel this will help to move the issue, as we know politicians count votes (correspondence from constituents) and frequently cite the numbers of contacts they have received. Thus, we have put together pertinent information one can use in developing "a" communication with our politicians. This will include a little of the biology of the three species of AC of concern; The Problem....Chicago Ship Canal; Talking Points; and "Other" important stuff!

Biology

The three species of AC of concern in the Great Lakes are, Bighead (BH), Black (B), and Silver (S), with BH and S the two on the verge of entering the Great Lakes ecosystem. They are native to the Far East, mainly China, where they live, primarily, in large rivers. The BH can attain a maximum sixe of 60" and 100 lbs, while the S gets to a 39" and 60 lbs. The S can grow to 12 lbs in one year, in optimum environments. They eat plankton, both zoo and phyto, and are voracious feeders.

Read the full article »

Kennecott wants to amend water permit for UP mine

http://www.9and10news.com/Category/Story/?id=210004&cID=2

Lake politics: Obama to ban fishing?

http://greatlakesecho.org/2010/03/12/lake-politics-obama-to-ban-fishing/#

Read the full article »

The Copper Country Chapter of Trout Unlimited will hold its Monthly General Membership meeting at the Nara Park Chalet, south of Houghton on US 41.

George Madison of the Michigan DNRE will be the guest speaker.

The next Monthly Chapter Meeting will be at 7pm on March 10, 2010. George Madison of the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) will be our guest speaker.  He will discuss upcoming department work plans, merger update and proposed fishing regulation changes. This is also the CCCTU Annual Meeting, where elections will be held to fill several vacant Board of Directors seats. The location will be announced shortly.

For membership information, please contact Bill Leder at bleder@charter.net