Eastern Upper Peninsula Citizen Advisory Council DNR Division Reports Date of Production February 2018 This documentation is provided by Michigan DNR staff as supplemental information to the Eastern UPCAC members via email on February 8 2018

Upper Peninsula Regional Coordinator Stacy Haughey DNR Public Meetings February 8 Natural Resources Commission Meeting Lansing February 15 Eastern UP Citizenrsquos Advisory Council Newberry 630pm March 8 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting DNR Shingleton Office 600pm March 13 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting DNR Crystal Falls Office 600pm Central March 14 UP Sportsperson Coalition Meeting DNR Marquette Office 600pm March 15 Natural Resources Commission Meeting Grand Rapids March 22 Joint UPCAC Meeting Marquette 600pm

UP State Park amp State Sponsored Activities February 3 Tahquamenon Falls State Park-Guided Snowshoe Hike February 3 Michigan Iron Industry Museum ndash Thin Mint Snowshoe Shuffle February 9-11 Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park ndash Midwest Telefest February 10 Tahquamenon Falls State Park - Lantern-Lit Snowshoe February 10 Straits State Park ndash Winter Family Fun Day February 10 Tahquamenon Falls State Park ndash Lantern-Lit Snowshoe February 17-18 Free Fishing Weekend February 17 Tahquamenon Falls State Park-Lantern-Lit Snowshoe February 17 Van Riper State Park-Lantern-Lit Snowshoe February 23-25 BOW Winter Workshop-Bay Cliff Health Camp February 24 Tahquamenon Falls State Park-Lantern-Lit Snowshoe February 24 Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park ndash Snowburst Winter Carnival

Recent DNR Press Releases For full details go to httpwwwmichigangovdnrpressroom Addressing deer disease DNR MSU partner on deer movement study (13018) Apply by March 1 DNR Conservation Officer Recruit School (13018) DNR stocked more than 26 million fish in 2017

Buffalo Reef Task Force meeting set for Tuesday in Houghton County (12618) CWD Working Group provides recommendations to NRC (11918) State awards $36 million in grants to combat invasive species (11818) Deer habitat improvement grants now available in Upper Peninsula (11718) Copperwood Resources settlement reached in Gogebic County erosion incident (11618) DNR awards more than $14 million in Recreation Passport grants (11118) DNR awards nearly $28 million in Land and Water Conservation Fund grants (11118)

1 of 17

Showcasing the DNR Trail partners working together in Ontonagon County (11118) DNR conservation officers offer snowmobile safety tips (1818) Muskie anglers survey gathers valuable information for DNR (1818) DNR set to begin UP deer migration study (1318) Plan to use an ORV on state forest roads Check maps first (122817)

Grant Contacts For other grant information to go httpwwwmichigangovdnr045707-153-58225---00html

Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant Merrie Carlock 517-284-5931 carlockmmichigangov Recreation Passport Grant Merrie Carlock 517-284-5931 carlockmmichigangov Aquatic Habitat Grant Kelly Parker 517-284-5957 parkerk4michigangov Michigan Invasive Species Grant Kammy Frayre 517-284-5970 frayrek1michigangov Wildlife Habitat Grant Kelly Parker 517-284-5957 parkerk4michigangov UP Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Grant Bill Scullon 906-563-9247 scullonhmichigangov

February 2018 NRC Meeting Summary ndash Ed Golder Public Information Officer

The Natural Resources Commission met in Lansing on February 8th Major actions taken

bull The commission approve common merganser control permits and regulations bull The commission approved new falconry regulations bull The director approved two land transactions Details can be found in the NRC agenda

During the meeting of the Policy Committee on Wildlife and Fisheries Fisheries Chief Jim Dexter told the committee about updated message wraps on the departmentrsquos fish stocking trucks The new graphics which will be on the road this spring will celebrate 50 years of salmon management The Black Lake Sturgeon Season opened last Saturday at 805 am The final fish was harvested at 1035 am A total of seven sturgeon were taken in what Jim called ldquothe worldrsquos shortest fishing seasonrdquo Jim also reported that the 2018 Fishing Guide is being shipped to retailers and will be available within the week

Jim next reported on fish stocking in the Upper Peninsula The department has been stocking fish since 1874 We stock a variety of species for various reasons to restore fish populations diversify fishing opportunities improve ecosystem balance and do experimental studies We stock nearly 7 million fish in the UP alone in 14 of the 16 UP counties

Wildlife Chief Russ Mason said legislators and commissioners will participate in upcoming elk survey flights The state will have a limited governorrsquos edition duck stamp in 2018 The departmentrsquos Wetland Mitigation Program has identified four sites for wetland mitigation on public land to provide large high-quality wetlands for hunting birding and other activities The department is coordinating with the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies to address west nile virus in ruffed grouse in Michigan Wildlife Division and Forest Resources Division held their first joint meeting recently -- a great opportunity to promote cooperation on forest management and habitat improvement for the benefit of the state Russ said

Barb Avers of Wildlife gave a presentation on regulations for the upcoming migratory bird hunting seasons Those recommendations will be before commissioners for action at the March meeting Among other things the proposed regulations would allow for the take of two pintail ducks up from one in current regulations In addition the regulations would move the youth waterfowl season to the third week of September from the second week to avoid overlap with the youth deer season

Jackie Blodgett of the Parks and Recreation Division told the Committee of the Whole that Parks is exploring a variety of solutions to urgent road repair needs at Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park The hope is to have a scope and estimate for these plans ready in two weeks Limited exploratory drilling has resumed at the

2 of 17

Porkies for copper deposits beneath the park These mineral rights are ldquoseveredrdquo and not publicly owned Recognizing the legal right of the company that owns the deposits to explore its mineral rights the departmentrsquos permit for this work was written to minimize impacts on natural resources The Belle Isle Strategic Management Plan is nearing completion and will be presented in April to the Michigan State Parks Advisory Committee New concession contracts for firewood vendors at state parks will encourage but not require the sale of kiln-dried wood This change was made to reduce the transfer of invasive species via firewood movement Snowmobile permit sales are up 113 percent this year compared to last Lodging reservations are up two percent year-to-year although the number of nights being reserved is down about the same amount In other words more reservations are being made for fewer nights This change likely reflects customer response to new cancellation and modification fees that encourage customers not to make reservations they donrsquot use

Jon Allan director of the Office of the Great Lakes reported on a press conference Gov Snyder held last week launching a new effort to protect the Great Lakes against invasive carp ndash one in a series of major announcements made last week by the governor Director Allan talked about the work his office does with three important collaborative bodies ndash the Great Lakes Commission the International Joint Commission and the Conference of Great Lakes and St Lawrence Governors and Premiers These bodies recognize that managing the Great Lakes is a multi-state bi-national responsibility and effort

Erik Eklund of the Finance and Operations Division gave a presentation on the governorrsquos budget recommendations for the DNR Those recommendations were detailed in a note sent to all DNR staff yesterday by the director

Jim Dexter presented the new Fisheries Division strategic plan which is now completed and online Tammy Newcomb of the Executive Division reported on the latest round of Invasive Species Grants This yearrsquos grants ndash issued by the DNR Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development -- funded 13 proposals for a total of $36 million The grants were directed at five focus areas control of aquatic invasive species plants detection and surveying of terrestrial invasive species reduction of invasive species spread through firewood prevention of invasive species introduction and spread through recreational activities and other urgent needs Among other accomplishments the state is making progress toward eradicating Phragmites in the Upper Peninsula Tammy reported

Resource Deputy Bill OrsquoNeill and Marketing and Outreach Chief Kristin Phillips gave the first of five presentations that will occur over the next five months at the commission regarding chronic wasting disease The presentations will focus on the five recommendations of the Chronic Wasting Disease Working Group Todayrsquos presentation focused on communications regarding CWD ndash centered on engagement with stakeholders and the broader public audience research and strategic communications Central to the effort in the next few months will be public meetings that will help the NRC and department develop regulations to manage the disease Bill made it clear that this new phase of CWD management will be a department-wide effort and ldquoa marathon not a sprintrdquo The goal is to promote long-term deer health in Michigan

Legislative Liaison Anna Mooney offered a report on legislation affecting the department That report is below

February 2018 Legislative Update ndash Anna Mooney Legislative amp Legal Affairs Office

PA 3 of 2018 (HB 4533) ndash 3-day Hunting License ndash Rep VanderWall This act amends the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow a nonresident to purchase a 3-day limited nonresident small game license for $50 Currently a nonresident can purchase a 7-day limited nonresident small game license for $80 This act also allows an individual purchasing a 3-day or 7-day limited nonresident small game license to also purchase a waterfowl hunting license

PA 4 of 2018 (HB 4957) ndash Mentored Youth Hunt ndash Rep Howell This act amends the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow an individual who purchased a Mentored Youth Hunting License to purchase additional licenses including antlerless deer bear and elk This act also

3 of 17

clarifies that the mentored youth is subject to the same license application process as other hunters are for purchasing additional licenses

HB 4787 ndash Ice Shanty Removal ndash Rep VanderWall This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act by amending Sections 46502 46507 and 46508 to change requirements for how an ice shanty can be identified Instead of an individual using their home address to identify their shanty the bill would allow for the use of the ownerrsquos driver license number or their sportcard to be posted on the outside of the shanty The bill would also remove the dates in statute for when shanties are required to be removed from the ice and would allow for the Department to set this date instead bull This bill passed the Senate and is awaiting signature by the Governor

SB 316 ndash Frog Spearing with the Aid of Artificial Light ndash Sen Booher This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act by repealing Section 45501 Repealing this section will place the regulatory authority for the season for frogs and the prohibition on the use of artificial light to aid in the spearing of frogs at night with the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) The NRC has the authority to regulate the take of reptiles and amphibians in regard to all other matters Removal of the season as well as the use of artificial light from statute places the regulatory authority over these two items with the NRC similar to all other sport fishing regulations bull This bill passed the House and is awaiting signature by the Governor

HB 5200 ndash Update and Eliminate Certain Sections of NREPA ndash Rep Howell This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to statutorily prohibit the taking of reptiles or amphibians for commercial purposes and to remove from the provisions of Part 13 (Permits) reference to a permit to collect frogs for scientific research currently required under Part 455 bull This bill passed the Senate and is awaiting signature by the Governor

HB 5001-5002 ndash Registered Forester ndash Rep Rendon These bills seek to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act and the General Property Tax Act to establish the Registered Forester Program within the Department of Natural Resources bull These bills passed the House and were referred to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources bull The Administration supports this legislation

HB 5155-5156 ndash Adopt-a-River and Adopt-a-Shoreline ndash Rep LaSata These bills seek to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to clarify the requirements for the Adopt-a-River and Adopt-a-Shoreline programs within the Department of Natural Resources bull These bills passed the House and were referred to the Senate Committee on Outdoor Recreation and Tourism bull The Administration supports this legislation

HB 5198 ndash All Hazard Response ndash Rep Allor This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow the Department of Natural Resources to enter into agreements for all hazard incidents taking place out-of-state Employees would be entitled to the same compensation and employee benefits as they would be in Michigan bull This bill passed the House and was referred to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources bull The Administration supports this legislation

HB 5321 ndash Prohibit Sterilization of Game ndash Rep Cole This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to prohibit the department from issuing a permit to authorize the sterilization of game bull Two hearings were held on the bill in the House Committee on Natural Resources The legislation was referred

to a subcommittee for further discussion bull The Administration has not taken a position on this legislation

HB 5378 ndash Free Fishing Licenses ndash Rep Sabo This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to provide a free all-species fishing license to an individual with a developmental disability bull This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources

4 of 17

bull The Administration has not taken a position on this legislation

HB 5416 ndash Hunter Pink ndash Rep Johnson This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to include hunter pink as an allowable safety color to be worn while hunting bull This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources bull The Administration opposes this legislation

HB 5417 ndash Transporting of a Bow ndash Rep Johnson This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow an individual to transport a bow or crossbow in their vehicle without having to be unstrung enclosed in a case or carried in the trunk of the car bull This bill was referred to the House Committee on Judiciary bull The Administration has not taken a position on this legislation

HB 5441 ndash Wolf Management Funding ndash Rep LaFave This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to prohibit the department from expending state funds for the purposes of managing the statersquos wolf population bull This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources bull The Administration has not taken a position on this legislation

HB 5457-5458 ndash Public Lands Day ndash Rep Cochran These bills seek to establish the last Saturday in September as ldquoPublic Lands Dayrdquo House Bill 5458 seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to waive the requirement of a recreation passport at a state park or recreation area on ldquoPublic Lands Dayrdquo bull These bills were referred to the House Committee on Government Operations bull The Administration has not taken a position on this legislation

SB 763SJR O ndash MNRTF and SPEF Changes ndash Sen Casperson This legislation seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) and the Michigan Constitution to provide flexibility for the manner in which oil gas and mineral royalty revenue is to be distributed to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) and the State Park Endowment Fund (SPEF)

This legislation would change the formula for funds currently distributed from the SPEF to designate at least 20 of the royalties to be used towards local public recreation projects The proposed changes to NREPA and the Michigan Constitution would also allow for more grants to be awarded from the MNRTF each year for the development of public recreation facilities bull This legislation was referred to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources bull The Administration supports this legislation

If you would like to learn more about these and other bills you can access the Michigan Legislature website at wwwlegislaturemigov

Western UPCAC Update

The WUPCAC met on January 18th at the Baraga Lakeside Inn Updates were provided on the UP Wildlife Habitat Workgroup Chronic Wasting Disease and Moose Salvage Pickup Reports on the Deer Movement Study a Fisheries Partnership Marquette County Shooting Range and District 1 Law Staff were also presented Four resolutions were brought before the Council and approved a commendation letter to Commissioner Matonich a congratulations letter to Commissioner Pontz support of the Marquette County public shooting range and congratulations to all UP DNR staff who retired in 2017 The next regular WUPCAC meeting will be held on May 17th in Ironwood

The annual Joint UPCAC meeting will be held on March 22 2018 at the Marquette Township Community Center in Marquette beginning at 530pm

5 of 17

bull The Administration has not taken a position on this legislation

HB 5416 ndash Hunter Pink ndash Rep Johnson This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to include hunter pink as an allowable safety color to be worn while hunting bull This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources bull The Administration opposes this legislation

HB 5417 ndash Transporting of a Bow ndash Rep Johnson This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow an individual to transport a bow or crossbow in their vehicle without having to be unstrung enclosed in a case or carried in the trunk of the car bull This bill was referred to the House Committee on Judiciary bull The Administration has not taken a position on this legislation

HB 5441 ndash Wolf Management Funding ndash Rep LaFave This bill seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to prohibit the department from expending state funds for the purposes of managing the statersquos wolf population bull This bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources bull The Administration has not taken a position on this legislation

HB 5457-5458 ndash Public Lands Day ndash Rep Cochran These bills seek to establish the last Saturday in September as ldquoPublic Lands Dayrdquo House Bill 5458 seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to waive the requirement of a recreation passport at a state park or recreation area on ldquoPublic Lands Dayrdquo bull These bills were referred to the House Committee on Government Operations bull The Administration has not taken a position on this legislation

SB 763SJR O ndash MNRTF and SPEF Changes ndash Sen Casperson This legislation seeks to amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) and the Michigan Constitution to provide flexibility for the manner in which oil gas and mineral royalty revenue is to be distributed to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) and the State Park Endowment Fund (SPEF)

This legislation would change the formula for funds currently distributed from the SPEF to designate at least 20 of the royalties to be used towards local public recreation projects The proposed changes to NREPA and the Michigan Constitution would also allow for more grants to be awarded from the MNRTF each year for the development of public recreation facilities bull This legislation was referred to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources bull The Administration supports this legislation

If you would like to learn more about these and other bills you can access the Michigan Legislature website at wwwlegislaturemigov

Western UPCAC Update

The WUPCAC met on January 18th at the Baraga Lakeside Inn Updates were provided on the UP Wildlife Habitat Workgroup Chronic Wasting Disease and Moose Salvage Pickup Reports on the Deer Movement Study a Fisheries Partnership Marquette County Shooting Range and District 1 Law Staff were also presented Four resolutions were brought before the Council and approved a commendation letter to Commissioner Matonich a congratulations letter to Commissioner Pontz support of the Marquette County public shooting range and congratulations to all UP DNR staff who retired in 2017 The next regular WUPCAC meeting will be held on May 17th in Ironwood

The annual Joint UPCAC meeting will be held on March 22 2018 at the Marquette Township Community Center in Marquette beginning at 530pm

5 of 17

Division Updates

Finance amp Operations Michelle Zellar Eastern UP The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced the three winners of the ninth annual Pure Michigan Hunt Don Rademacher of Lake Odessa (Ionia County) Jim Tilton of Alma (Gratiot County) and Amy Ornatowski of Tawas City (Iosco County) each won a pocketful of licenses and more than $4000 worth of hunting gear

A staff meeting with Stacy Haughey will be held at the Newberry Customer Service Center February 15th Free Fishing Weekend is February 17th and 18th with many programs being held throughout the state

FEBRUARY 2018 21 ndash Deadline for Spring Turkey license applications 21 ndash Bobcat Hunting closes in Unit D also close of UP bobcat trapping (Units A amp B) 21 ndash Early Crow season opens 23 ndash Sturgeon spearing season on Black Lake Cheboygan Co ndash for info (989) 732-3541 217 amp 218 ndash Winter Free Fishing Weekend 221 ndash Last day for ice shanties on Lake St Clair

MARCH 2018 (Continues on Next Page) 31 ndash New Year huntfishorv licenses go on sale (most licenses expire 331) 31 ndash Can apply for 2019 Pure Michigan Hunt 31 ndash Hand netting opens (smelt suckers bowfin carp gar shad goldfish) 31 ndash Squirrel and Fox seasons close also Fox Coyote Muskrat Mink trapping close 31 ndash Bobcat Hunting closes (Units A B C) and Badger Trapping closes in Zone 3 31 ndash Tree stands and ladders must be removed from all public lands 31 ndash Last day for ice shanties in southern Lower Peninsula counties see p 70 31 ndash Pike and Walleye closes on the ldquoBoundary Watersrdquo 35 ndash Drawing Results posted for Spring Turkey hunts 312 ndash Leftover Turkey amp Hunt 234 on sale (unsuccessful applicants OTC begins 319) 311 ndash Last day to register Bobcats taken by hunting (Units A B C) ndash see p 54 315 ndash Last day for ice shanties in northern Lower Peninsula amp Boundary Waters 315 ndash Walleye Pike Muskie seasons close (Inland Waters) 315 ndash Sturgeon season closes on Otsego Lake Otsego County 320 ndash Dip netting opens (smelt suckers bowfin carp gar shad goldfish) 331 ndash Hunt Fish and ORV Licenses expire (Fur Harvester is valid until April 30) 331 ndash Last day for ice shanties in the Upper Peninsula 331 - Early Crow and RabbitHare seasons close also BeaverOtter trapping (Unit C) 331 ndash Last day of Raccoon trapping season

EUP Wildlife Division Terry Minzey Wildlife Supervisor (prepared by Cody Norton Biologist) WLD staff is continuing to measure snow depths at 15 stations in the UP to index winter conditions and anticipate

their effects on deer and other species As of January 29th the UP average Total Accumulated Snow depth (TAS) index is just below the 2005ndash17 average

In order to supplementally feed deer in the UP a permit must be obtained from your local DNR office (East UP offices with WLD staff Sault Ste Marie Newberry or Shingleton) Since TAS values did not meet established thresholds by January 22nd supplemental feeding of deer is not allowed in southern UP counties this year Southern UP counties include Schoolcraft Mackinac and Chippewa (south of T43N-44N boundary line) County in the East UP

6 of 17

WLD staff is still registering harvested river otters and bobcats The mandatory registration and sealing of some furbearing animals reduces opportunities for poaching and provides the DNR with extensive biological and harvest data to be incorporated into harvest quotas and habitat management It also provides opportunities for WLD staff to get input from hunters and trappers about their season and regulation or quota changes they would like to see in the future

WLD staff are working on the UP winter wolf survey which is a field survey that will be going on for the remainder of the winter The wolf survey results will be used to update the wolf population estimate The wolf population estimate will be available later this year likely in May after the survey has been completed

WLD staff have just completed analyzing data from the UP Deer Camp Survey Results of the survey will be made available soon The deer camp survey is used to monitor deer sightings deer harvest and hunter opinions during the 16-day firearm season It provides hunters and DNR staff with feedback on the status of the deer herd and hunting satisfaction soon after the season ends

Several East UP WLD staff are assisting with a new deer migration study in the western UP This is a multi-year study designed to quantify movement patterns of deer especially migration between winter and summer ranges The plan is to move this project to the central and eastern UP in the future The results of this study will help WLD staff better manage deer populations especially if Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is detected in the UP

Recently a wild free-ranging 2 frac12 year old buck harvested in northeastern Lincoln County Wisconsin south of Rhinelander tested positive for CWD The deer was harvested approximately 40 miles from the UP border and represents the closest wild cervid to test positive for CWD

The application for Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative (DHIPI) grants is open now until March 1st This program helps improve wildlife habitat in the UP on non-DNR lands fosters relationships between the DNR and other organizationsagencies and showcases collaborative projects to the public There is $100000 available with a maximum an individual grant can receive of $15000 and a minimum of $2000 Any interested organizations should contact their local wildlife biologist to develop suitable projects

Forest Resources Division Jeff Stampfly Eastern UP Supervisor Forest Resources Division (FRD) has a new assistant chief With Bill OrsquoNeillrsquos promotion to resource deputy and

Debbie Begallersquos promotion to division chief a vacancy at the assistant chief level was created Shannon Hanna from Wildlife Division has graciously accepted the position effective December 31st Shannon has a wide range of forestry and wildlife experience and should be a great addition to the FRD

EUP Forest Management Unit (FMU)s are working on their 2020 YOE inventory Open house and compartment review schedules will be posted online along with other state forest inventory information at wwwmichigangovforestry

Foresters are working on the 2018 timber sale plan of work concentrating on setting up lowland areas while the ground is frozen

Approximately 30 EUP sales are active right now including some of the hardwood research sales All of the hardwood research sales must have harvesting started by February 1st This year winter conditions are generally favorable for working in our low wet areas

Fourteen timber sales have recently sold in the EUP The lowland sales are selling with a low number of bidders and lower prices as loggers have a back-log of these sales to cut due to poor winter harvesting conditions in recent years

7 of 17

WLD staff is still registering harvested river otters and bobcats The mandatory registration and sealing of some furbearing animals reduces opportunities for poaching and provides the DNR with extensive biological and harvest data to be incorporated into harvest quotas and habitat management It also provides opportunities for WLD staff to get input from hunters and trappers about their season and regulation or quota changes they would like to see in the future

WLD staff are working on the UP winter wolf survey which is a field survey that will be going on for the remainder of the winter The wolf survey results will be used to update the wolf population estimate The wolf population estimate will be available later this year likely in May after the survey has been completed

WLD staff have just completed analyzing data from the UP Deer Camp Survey Results of the survey will be made available soon The deer camp survey is used to monitor deer sightings deer harvest and hunter opinions during the 16-day firearm season It provides hunters and DNR staff with feedback on the status of the deer herd and hunting satisfaction soon after the season ends

Several East UP WLD staff are assisting with a new deer migration study in the western UP This is a multi-year study designed to quantify movement patterns of deer especially migration between winter and summer ranges The plan is to move this project to the central and eastern UP in the future The results of this study will help WLD staff better manage deer populations especially if Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is detected in the UP

Recently a wild free-ranging 2 frac12 year old buck harvested in northeastern Lincoln County Wisconsin south of Rhinelander tested positive for CWD The deer was harvested approximately 40 miles from the UP border and represents the closest wild cervid to test positive for CWD

The application for Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative (DHIPI) grants is open now until March 1st This program helps improve wildlife habitat in the UP on non-DNR lands fosters relationships between the DNR and other organizationsagencies and showcases collaborative projects to the public There is $100000 available with a maximum an individual grant can receive of $15000 and a minimum of $2000 Any interested organizations should contact their local wildlife biologist to develop suitable projects

Forest Resources Division Jeff Stampfly Eastern UP Supervisor Forest Resources Division (FRD) has a new assistant chief With Bill OrsquoNeillrsquos promotion to resource deputy and

Debbie Begallersquos promotion to division chief a vacancy at the assistant chief level was created Shannon Hanna from Wildlife Division has graciously accepted the position effective December 31st Shannon has a wide range of forestry and wildlife experience and should be a great addition to the FRD

EUP Forest Management Unit (FMU)s are working on their 2020 YOE inventory Open house and compartment review schedules will be posted online along with other state forest inventory information at wwwmichigangovforestry

Foresters are working on the 2018 timber sale plan of work concentrating on setting up lowland areas while the ground is frozen

Approximately 30 EUP sales are active right now including some of the hardwood research sales All of the hardwood research sales must have harvesting started by February 1st This year winter conditions are generally favorable for working in our low wet areas

Fourteen timber sales have recently sold in the EUP The lowland sales are selling with a low number of bidders and lower prices as loggers have a back-log of these sales to cut due to poor winter harvesting conditions in recent years

7 of 17

Approximately 2000 acres of contract timber marking sales have been bid out in the EUP Ash and hazard tree removal has been started in Munuscong SF Campground and the surrounding area

EUP managers went to the Verso paper mill in Escanaba to meet managers there discuss timber related issues share thoughts on the industry and foster relationships

We continue to work with the USFS on Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) projects The USFS expects a significant increase the amount of wood that the DNR will set up for sale in the next few years

In EUP personnel matters a Shingleton Forest Tech transferred to Gwinn and a Naubinway Forester transferred to Shingleton The Naubinway vacancy will be filled soon

Forest protection staff have been working on the snowmobile grant program checking snowmobile trails for compliance They have also investigated several accidents including three fatalities

Fire officers are also busy with equipment maintenance and training including simulation scenarios for the upcoming spring fire season The annual UP Spring Fire Meeting is scheduled for the end of February

Over ChristmasNew Yearrsquos holidays 13 DNR fire qualified staff helped battle forest fires in California as part of a 20shyperson multi-agency hand crew EUP staff made up 30 of the crew

Forest Resources and Wildlife Divisions recently attended a joint professional development training session in Traverse City This was the first time all staff from both divisions have met together It was a great opportunity to enhance professional skills build relationships and communicate our vision and values

The Road Classification work continues as planned District staff will meet at the end of February to review the work that has been done and to get ready for public meetings More information is available at wwwmichigangovforestroads

Starting January 1st open enrollment for the Commercial Forest Program will continue until April 1st For more information on the Commercial Forest Program go to wwwmichigangovcommercialforest

Marketing amp Outreach Division Jon Spieles Education Services Section The new DNR Website will go live in March after many many months of research focus groups and hard work

More than 15000 students have participated in Visitor Center or outreach programs since October There have also been more than 50 public programs including ice fishing clinics snowshoe-building classes and winter hikes fishing rod building classes winter survival courses lantern ski events owl prowls and many other activities and events that round out the winter programming at our nine facilities now open around the state

The Hard Water School at the Hunt and Fish Center in Cadillac took place January 27 and 28 This two day school had 35 students from all over the state 7 volunteers and 9 companies represented Poor ice conditions kept us from fishing but the participants all rated the class and materials excellent

Work has started to recruit and hire more than 60 seasonal interpreters that will staff nine visitor centers and 45 State Parks next summer Job fairs are being attended and postings have been prepared and are being delivered through numerous channels

DNRs Academy of Natural Resources (ANR) is planned at two sites again this year The ldquoANR Classicrdquo will run from July 8-13 at the Ralph A McMullan Conference Center on the North shore of Higginrsquos Lake ldquoANR Northrdquo will run from August 5-10 at Michigan Techrsquos Ford Center one hour West of Marquette Both packages include five nights

8 of 17

lodging fifteen meals and instruction and both offer an opportunity for scholarship $100 Scholarships from Novi Chapter Safari Club International have reduced costs for teachers in Michigan more than $80000 through the years Graduate credits and SCECH are also available For more information go to DNR ndash Education ndash Teacher Resources on the web

Michigan Science Teachers Association will meet on March 2-3 at the Radisson Hotel and Lansing Center in Lansing The conference is a tremendous opportunity for both formal and non-formal educators to learn new teaching techniques and trends network with like- minded science teachers and browse past vast vendor exhibits The Michigan DNR will be on hand Friday with a series of back to back seminars and sessions as will the Michigan Alliance of Environmental and Outdoor Education For registration information go to Michigan Science Teachers Association and look for a breakdown of DNR sessions

Public Information Office John Pepin Deputy Public Information Officer The calendar of Showcasing the DNR stories is being developed with a good many stories planned for the coming

year many of the subjects came from ideas suggested by DNR staffers I will be compiling a database of head shots of many DNR staffers in the Upper Peninsula The photos will be used to

compliment stories submitted to media outlets covering a wide range of DNR issues Basically we will be working to put faces on our department I have been doing this myself with my photo being used weekly with my Outdoors North DNR column published in some UP papers including the Mining Journal and Escanaba Daily Press Thank you very much for your cooperation on this in advance

ldquoAsk the DNRrdquo is on hiatus until shows on April 21 and May 17 The new season of ldquoWardensrdquo kicked off Jan 8 with an episode featuring UP DNR conservation officers working on

a snowmobile sound enforcement detail which took place last winter in Houghton Other segments featuring the UP include one on bat research The program airs on the Outdoors Channel Check listings for more

If any of you have ideas for stories press releases or other media outreach please contact me at 906-226-1352 or pepinjmichigangov

Law Enforcement Division (LED) Lt Skip Hagy District 2 Since our last CAC meeting in December District 2 officers have been involved in many cases and complaints along

with the last half of the firearm deer season included in this report as you will read in the bi-weekly reports below

Law Divisionrsquos most recent Recruit School Class 8 graduated on December 21 2017 with 22 new officers entering their field training phase Two of the officers have been assigned to District 2 with Stephen Butzin going to Delta County and Justin Vinson going to Luce County upon completion of their field training

With plenty of snow and cold temps up here and warmer temps below the bridge we have had a large amount of snowmobile activity in the District Our officers worked the surrounding trail system during the I-500 snowmobile race weekend and the attempted Guinness World Record snowmobile parade Over 1075 contacts were made by officers during these events 30 verbal warnings were given along with 25 tickets for various violations including sound level careless operation registration and trail permit violations

We have also had a high amount of ice fishing activity across the District with the Bays De Noc being extremely busy

Do your part to help our next generation of sportsmen and women Learn to do things the right way and safelyhellipthey learn by the example you set Get out and enjoy our great UP

DISTRICT 2 Law Enforcement Division Bi-Weekly Field Reports 11192017 ndash 1222017 On Thanksgiving Day CO Michael Evink responded to Alger County in regards to an illegal deer complaint The complaint was

of a buck that was shot on private property possibly from a vehicle Officer Evink did multiple hours of investigation and was able to locate the suspectrsquos residence vehicle and a deer hanging in the garage Officer Evink waited for the residents to return but after a few hours they did not Officer Evink turned the information over to COs Robert Freeborn and Mark Zitnik who were able to follow up the next day The COs were able to locate the suspectrsquos residence and truck and a buck hanging from the

9 of 17

pole barn ceiling While the suspect was not currently home the girlfriend of the suspect was home and let the COs look at the deer in the pole barn The COs immediately noticed that the tag was not properly attached or validated The COs learned that the suspect was currently seeing family in a nearby town The COs proceeded to the familyrsquos residence and located the suspect After an interview the suspect admitted to shooting the deer from his truck while the deer was on private property The suspect was cited for the violations

COs Michael Evink and Rob Freeborn conducted a routine taxidermy inspection The COs followed up on one set of antlers of concern The investigation turned up a 75-year old mother covering for her son After an interview with mother and son it was determined that the mother did not shoot the deer but bought a tag for her son so he could keep hunting after he already filled his tags Both the mother and son received citations for loaningborrowing anotherrsquos tag as well as improper tagging The deer and firearm were also seized

CO Pat Hartsig was patrolling Delta County when a car pulled out right in front of him almost hitting the CO The vehicle was stopped and it was found the operator did not have a driverrsquos license and the license plates on the vehicle he was driving were registered to another suspended vehicle out of Wisconsin Enforcement action was taken

CO Chris Lynch received a complaint of a hunter who may be hunting with a rifle within the safety zone CO Lynch responded to the scene to find the hunter hunting with a rifle in the safety zone and not wearing hunters orange The hunter was ticketed for the violation

CO Chris Lynch assisted CO Jeff Dell with a hunter that was in the local newspaper with a ten-point he shot It was discovered that the hunter never purchased a buck tag CO Dell and CO Lynch went to the hunterrsquos property to discover that he was out hunting that night without a deer license The hunter was interviewed and confessed to shooting the ten-point buck without a license The hunter was ticketed for hunting deer without a license and the rifle was seized The COs went back to the hunterrsquos residence and recovered the ten-point buck he shot without a license earlier in the season Charges are being sought on the hunter for shooting the ten-point without a license through the Menominee County Prosecutorrsquos Office

COs Chris Lynch and Pat Hartsig were on patrol when a call of a fight in progress came out near their location The COs assisted a Gladstone Public Safety officer with the case One subject was arrested for domestic violence and possession of marijuana and lodged in the Delta County Jail

CO Mark Zitnik responded to a complaint of an ORV driving over a berm on Commercial Forest land CO Zitnik made contact with the operator who thought it was ok to drive over the very large berm blocking the road Enforcement action was taken

While continuing to follow up on illegal ORV activity on state lands CO Brett Gustafson contacted a hunter who had created an illegal ORV trail across state land The hunter claimed he did not know he couldnrsquot operate his ORV cross county The hunter was educated and enforcement action was taken

COs Brett Gustafson and Kevin Postma utilized one of the District unmarked vehicles to apprehend a subject on several warrants The subject lives on Neebish Island and has avoided enforcement officers on several occasions in the past COs Gustafson and Postma got on to the island undetected and set-up surveillance on the subjectrsquos residence After about an hour and a half CO Postma observed activity as the subject exited the residence to feed his dog The subject was arrested on two DNR warrants and one tribal warrant out of Chippewa County The subject was lodged in the Chippewa County jail

CO Calvin Smith received a complaint of a vehicle that had not moved for nearly four days and was partially blocking a road CO Smith followed a set of ORV tracks from a nearby camp and with only minutes left of legal shooting time remaining CO Smith waited for the hunter to return Approximately 15 minutes later CO Smith observed the lights of an ATV and made contact with the hunter CO Smith asked the hunter if he had a blind with some bait back there and the hunter replied ldquoNo I just walk the logging trails and hunt the clear cutsrdquo CO Smith also observed that there was not a firearm on the ATV and asked the hunter where his gun was The hunter replied ldquoOh I hunt with a pistol and just leave it in the woodsrdquo The story quickly started to unravel when he and CO Smith walked back on the hunterrsquos illegal ORV trail that led to his illegal blind and a bait pile of nearly a ton of sugar beets Law enforcement action was taken

CO Bobby Watson distributed venison to a local residential group home that serves adolescent boys The venison had been confiscated from previous cases and signed over to the Department by the suspects involved ensuring the venison would go to good use

CO Kevin Postma investigated a report of trespassing on the day after the close of the firearm deer season It was determined that that a Tribal member had shot a deer and then trespassed onto private property to attempt to recover the deer A report will be sent to the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians with regards to the tribal member hunting without a tribal harvest license

CO Kevin Postma and Sault Tribe CO Mike Povey interviewed a Sault Tribe trapper with untagged traps The trapper was caught on trail cameras that were deployed by CO Postma after locating the untagged traps While talking with the trapper the COs noticed a pine martin carcass in the bed of the individualrsquos truck along with other untagged traps It was determined that the pine martin had not been tagged Enforcement action is being sought through Tribal court

CO Tom Oberg just arrived on Drummond Island when he noticed the vehicle in front of him pulling a trailer without a license plate and no trailer lights CO Oberg conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle The driver of the vehicle was also found to have several warrants out of Mecosta County Enforcement action was taken

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1232017 ndash 12162017 COs Chris Lynch and Bobby Watson were on patrol when they noticed a vehicle parked off the road A scan of the vehicle

revealed a scoped rifle case that was open and fresh footprints in the snow leading from the vehicle The COs followed the tracks for about a mile on deer runways and through deer bedding areas The COs observed the hunter not wearing hunters orange looking through the scope of his 30-06 rifle Upon contact and asking the hunter for his hunting license and ID the hunter stated it was back at his vehicle and that he wasnrsquot hunting He stated he was just checking his cameras for deer signs and carrying his gun for protection or in case he saw a coyote The COs walked with the subject back to his truck to retrieve his licenses The subject was asked if he had any other weapons on him and he stated he was carrying a concealed45 pistol but didnrsquot have his CPL with him and forgot to notify the COs when they contacted him that he was conceal carrying At the subjectsrsquo vehicle they met up with CO Mark Zitnik The subject showed the COs his hunting combo deer license and the regular combo tag was missing The subject stated he shot a 4-point fork horn and that the deer was back at his dadrsquos house COs Lynch and Watson went to the dads house with the subject to retrieve the deer due to the antler point violation With that deer were three other deer which were also in violation of the antler point restrictions Two of the deer were his dadrsquos and one was his younger brothers Contact with the dad and brother were made and confessions were received on all the deer in violation Evidence was seized and warrant requests will be submitted through the Delta County Prosecutorrsquos Office on all three subjects for the violations

COs Chris Lynch and Bobby Watson were doing follow-up interviews from meat processor inspections when an 8-point buck was noticed with a suspicious license purchase An investigation led to the hunter confessing to shooting the deer without a license and buying his license after the fact Enforcement action was taken for the illegal deer

COs Bobby Watson Chris Lynch and Mark Zitnik were on patrol when a complaint was received regarding an ORV disregarding a berm and traveling in a closed area to access a tree stand The COs walked approximately 15 miles to contact the hunter Enforcement action was taken

CO Robert Freeborn participated in the annual ldquoshop with a coprdquo in Manistique CO Freeborn along with local county city tribal and MSP officers were assigned a child in need to pick up at their residence The officers then brought the child to a local diner where they could pick a breakfast of their choice The children were then transported to the local ShopKo where they were given $150 dollars to spend on Christmas presents for themselves and family After the shopping trip they were treated to a movie at the local movie theater along with snacks and a drink While the movie was playing the officers wrapped the presents This program was made possible by donations from the community as well as the donations by the local business involved

CO Robert Freeborn received a tip of a suspicious 8-point from CO Calvin Smith that needed further investigation It was determined that a subject had shot a deer and currently did not have a valid Michigan hunting license but had a picture of his deer with a state tag on it CO Freeborn was able to determine that the suspect was a tribal member and verified he had not purchased a Michigan hunting license COs Freeborn and Michael Evink were able to locate the subject at his residence After an interview with the subject the subject confessed he used his buddyrsquos state tag because he had already filled his tribal antlered tags prior to shooting the 8-point therefore taking an over limit of antlered deer The deer was seized and turned over to Sault Tribal Police for prosecution Enforcement action was taken on the non-tribal member for loaning a license

CO Brett Gustafson has received several complaints about trespassing by coyote hunters CO Gustafson has met with several land owners and advised on proper posting of their land and continues to work the area for violations

CO Brett Gustafson signed warrants for hunter harassment for an incident that occurred during waterfowl season The suspect in the case motored through the complainantrsquos decoys on the opening morning of the waterfowl season numerous times playing the radio on his pontoon boat loudly along with other harassing behavior

CO Brett Gustafson attended the 911 Symposium for first responders held in St Ignace Numerous agencies attended and plans for different emergency responses were discussed

CO Kevin Postma was checking deer yards south of M-134 in Mackinac County CO Postma made contact with two coyote hunters heading to set up and start calling in the same area After a brief conversation CO Postma asked the hunters if he could check their guns The driver of the vehicle advised he could but they were loaded CO Postma then observed two uncased and loaded rifles in the back seat of the vehicle The driver of the vehicle then asked CO Postma for a break CO Postma asked the driver if he remembered the break he gave him for the same thing seven years ago The driver advised ldquoOh yeah thatrsquos rightrdquo No break was given this time

COs Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith interviewed a subject who shot a deer during the firearm deer season and purchased his hunting license after the fact A confession was obtained and the deer was seized Law enforcement action was taken

CO Tom Oberg received an anonymous complaint in regards to shooting deer at night CO Oberg went to the location of the residence late at night and located a hand-held work light hanging from a tree shining onto a bait pile CO Oberg made contact with the owners of the residence After a short interview with the husband and wife CO Oberg received a confession from the wife who is a member of Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians stating she shot at a doe late at night a couple days prior but missed it After further investigation CO Oberg received confessions that both the husband and wife shot deer in November in Delta County and neither of them ever purchased licenses CO Oberg seized evidence in regards to the non-tribal suspect and turned

11 of 17

1232017 ndash 12162017 COs Chris Lynch and Bobby Watson were on patrol when they noticed a vehicle parked off the road A scan of the vehicle

revealed a scoped rifle case that was open and fresh footprints in the snow leading from the vehicle The COs followed the tracks for about a mile on deer runways and through deer bedding areas The COs observed the hunter not wearing hunters orange looking through the scope of his 30-06 rifle Upon contact and asking the hunter for his hunting license and ID the hunter stated it was back at his vehicle and that he wasnrsquot hunting He stated he was just checking his cameras for deer signs and carrying his gun for protection or in case he saw a coyote The COs walked with the subject back to his truck to retrieve his licenses The subject was asked if he had any other weapons on him and he stated he was carrying a concealed45 pistol but didnrsquot have his CPL with him and forgot to notify the COs when they contacted him that he was conceal carrying At the subjectsrsquo vehicle they met up with CO Mark Zitnik The subject showed the COs his hunting combo deer license and the regular combo tag was missing The subject stated he shot a 4-point fork horn and that the deer was back at his dadrsquos house COs Lynch and Watson went to the dads house with the subject to retrieve the deer due to the antler point violation With that deer were three other deer which were also in violation of the antler point restrictions Two of the deer were his dadrsquos and one was his younger brothers Contact with the dad and brother were made and confessions were received on all the deer in violation Evidence was seized and warrant requests will be submitted through the Delta County Prosecutorrsquos Office on all three subjects for the violations

COs Chris Lynch and Bobby Watson were doing follow-up interviews from meat processor inspections when an 8-point buck was noticed with a suspicious license purchase An investigation led to the hunter confessing to shooting the deer without a license and buying his license after the fact Enforcement action was taken for the illegal deer

COs Bobby Watson Chris Lynch and Mark Zitnik were on patrol when a complaint was received regarding an ORV disregarding a berm and traveling in a closed area to access a tree stand The COs walked approximately 15 miles to contact the hunter Enforcement action was taken

CO Robert Freeborn participated in the annual ldquoshop with a coprdquo in Manistique CO Freeborn along with local county city tribal and MSP officers were assigned a child in need to pick up at their residence The officers then brought the child to a local diner where they could pick a breakfast of their choice The children were then transported to the local ShopKo where they were given $150 dollars to spend on Christmas presents for themselves and family After the shopping trip they were treated to a movie at the local movie theater along with snacks and a drink While the movie was playing the officers wrapped the presents This program was made possible by donations from the community as well as the donations by the local business involved

CO Robert Freeborn received a tip of a suspicious 8-point from CO Calvin Smith that needed further investigation It was determined that a subject had shot a deer and currently did not have a valid Michigan hunting license but had a picture of his deer with a state tag on it CO Freeborn was able to determine that the suspect was a tribal member and verified he had not purchased a Michigan hunting license COs Freeborn and Michael Evink were able to locate the subject at his residence After an interview with the subject the subject confessed he used his buddyrsquos state tag because he had already filled his tribal antlered tags prior to shooting the 8-point therefore taking an over limit of antlered deer The deer was seized and turned over to Sault Tribal Police for prosecution Enforcement action was taken on the non-tribal member for loaning a license

CO Brett Gustafson has received several complaints about trespassing by coyote hunters CO Gustafson has met with several land owners and advised on proper posting of their land and continues to work the area for violations

CO Brett Gustafson signed warrants for hunter harassment for an incident that occurred during waterfowl season The suspect in the case motored through the complainantrsquos decoys on the opening morning of the waterfowl season numerous times playing the radio on his pontoon boat loudly along with other harassing behavior

CO Brett Gustafson attended the 911 Symposium for first responders held in St Ignace Numerous agencies attended and plans for different emergency responses were discussed

CO Kevin Postma was checking deer yards south of M-134 in Mackinac County CO Postma made contact with two coyote hunters heading to set up and start calling in the same area After a brief conversation CO Postma asked the hunters if he could check their guns The driver of the vehicle advised he could but they were loaded CO Postma then observed two uncased and loaded rifles in the back seat of the vehicle The driver of the vehicle then asked CO Postma for a break CO Postma asked the driver if he remembered the break he gave him for the same thing seven years ago The driver advised ldquoOh yeah thatrsquos rightrdquo No break was given this time

COs Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith interviewed a subject who shot a deer during the firearm deer season and purchased his hunting license after the fact A confession was obtained and the deer was seized Law enforcement action was taken

CO Tom Oberg received an anonymous complaint in regards to shooting deer at night CO Oberg went to the location of the residence late at night and located a hand-held work light hanging from a tree shining onto a bait pile CO Oberg made contact with the owners of the residence After a short interview with the husband and wife CO Oberg received a confession from the wife who is a member of Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians stating she shot at a doe late at night a couple days prior but missed it After further investigation CO Oberg received confessions that both the husband and wife shot deer in November in Delta County and neither of them ever purchased licenses CO Oberg seized evidence in regards to the non-tribal suspect and turned

11 of 17

over all other information to Sault Tribe Law Enforcement pertaining to the tribal member A report will be sent to the Delta County Prosecutorrsquos Office for a warrant request

CO Colton Gelinas was on patrol in Mackinac County when he came across a parked vehicle CO Gelinas observed the driver of the vehicle slumped over the center console not knowing the well-being of the driver CO Gelinas attempted to wake the driver up by knocking on the window and hood of the vehicle After several knocks CO Gelinas made contact with the driver who was found to be under the influence of alcohol After further investigation and field sobriety tests CO Gelinas placed the driver under arrest for operating while intoxicated The driver was lodged at the Mackinac County Jail

COs Calvin Smith Tom Oberg Kevin Postma and Sgt Mike Hammill assisted DEQ with a security detail in St Ignace The meeting was open to the public and the topic was the oil pipeline which runs under the Mackinac Bridge and the recent proposals for change by Enbridge The meeting went on without incident

12172017 - 12302017 CO Mark Zitnik responded to a complaint of livestock depredation CO Zitnik met with the farmer who showed him the two

sheep that had been killed After investigating the site where the animals had been killed it was determined to be coyotes that had taken the two sheep A report was sent to the local biologist for follow-up

CO Chris Lynch was doing follow-ups from meat processor inspections when he noticed a suspicious license purchase Follow-up revealed he shot an eight-point buck then bought his license after the fact COs Lynch and Watson interviewed the hunter and received a confession on the violation The hunter was issued a citation for the violation

CO Chris Lynch received a complaint of a hunter from Wisconsin that shot a doe without a license in Delta County CO Lynch received pictures and copies of the hunterrsquos email from the complainant on the violation and turned the information over to the Wisconsin game wardens for a follow-up investigation The Wisconsin wardens contacted the hunter and received a full confession on the violation A report will be turned into the Delta County Prosecutorrsquos Office with a warrant request on the subject for taking an illegal deer

Ice formed on Munising Bay just after Christmas Only a few days later a few portable shacks started to appear Sgt Jerry Fitzgibbon was watching fishermen near the L-dock trying to decide if the 1 frac12rdquo of ice was really enough to go out on when he observed two individuals walking toward the ice The lead individual walked quickly pulling his sled The second individual walked carefully using an ice spud to check the ice Only 100rsquo from shore the spud went through the ice with only a light tap The individual froze in his tracks and the two ldquowould-be fishermenrdquo debated for 10-15 minutes which direction to go before turning around and coming back to their trucks First ice is always good fishing but caution should always be taken when venturing out on the ice

12312017 ndash 1132018 CO Chris Lynch received the disposition back from an investigation he conducted this fall CO Lynch had received a complaint of

a spike horn deer illegally taken He obtained a search warrant for the suspectrsquos residence The search turned up evidence for the illegal deer and marijuana Interviews were conducted The deer rifle and marijuana were seized and a report was turned in to the prosecutorrsquos office A 4-count arrest warrant was put out for the suspect including the following violations taking a deer with rifle during a closed season taking a deer without a license possession of marijuana and discharge of a firearm within the safety zone The subject was arrested and lodged in the Delta County Jail The suspect was sentenced to $2450 in fines and restitution five days in jail hunting privileges revoked for five years including the current year and the firearm used was condemned

CO Chris Lynch conducted an investigation on a possible illegal bear that had been shot Pictures of the bear that was shot this fall were obtained A younger member of the family was the only one with a valid license but was not in any of the pictures With the assistance of CO Bobby Watson interviews were conducted The COs found that a bear had been shot during the season by someone in the family and had not been registered with the DNR Enforcement action was taken

CO Mark Zitnik completed the snowmobile fatal supplemental report for a fatal accident that occurred in Alger County Sgt Jerry Fitzgibbon and CO Mark Zitnik were checking eager ice fishermen fishing Munising Bay when CO Zitnik discovered a

short splake in one anglerrsquos shack CO Zitnik asked to see their catch The fisherman presented the CO his bucket of fish When CO Zitnik asked to see the splake flopping behind it the fisherman said the short splake would not go back down the hole so he kept it so it wouldnrsquot go to waste Enforcement action was taken

CO Mark Zitnik checked two ice fishermen as they were walking off the ice When asked to see their fish CO Zitnik noticed a very small splake in the bucket A quick measure of the splake revealed it to be short Enforcement action was taken

CO Mark Zitnik checked two young fishermen packing up their gear off Sand Point When asked about the two undersized splake in the sled neither could remember who had caught them During the walk to shore the CO explained that obviously someone had caught them and put them in their sled By the time they reached the COrsquos truck their memory had gotten better Both young men learned an important lesson in taking responsibility for their actions Appropriate enforcement action was taken

COs Robert Freeborn and Christopher Lynch were on snowmobile patrol when they observed a snowmobile pull up to a stop sign and stop The snowmobiler then looked at the COs waved and continued on The COs did not observe a registration on the

12 of 17

snowmobile and were able to catch the snowmobiler at the next stop sign farther down the trail After a brief interview it was determined that the snowmobile was not currently registered and hadnrsquot been for years A citation was issued for failing to register the snowmobile

COs Colton Gelinas Calvin Smith Brett Gustafson Kevin Postma Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux and Sergeant Michael Hammill participated in a group snowmobile patrol in Grand Marias Alger County The COs also had a sound meter set-up to test snowmobiles believed to be over the 88 decibel sound limit Numerous citations were issued under snowmobile law

CO Colton Gelinas was on snowmobile patrol in Luce County when he observed a group of three snowmobiles approaching him at an intersection Two out of the three snowmobiles had expired registrations out of Illinois and the other did not have a registration sticker displayed CO Gelinas issued citations for operate snowmobile with expired registration and failing to display registration

CO Colton Gelinas was checking ice fishermen on a lake in Mackinac County when he discovered eight active tip-ups with nobody around them CO Gelinas also noticed a permanent shanty without a name or address CO Gelinas followed ORV tracks back to a nearby residence CO Gelinas made contact with two suspects who stated they ran out of bait and headed to town to get more CO Gelinas informed the two suspects about the line limit per angler in Michigan as well as failing to attend lines (tipshyups) and not affixing a nameaddress on all four sides of the shanty Law enforcement action was taken

CO Colton Gelinas and Luce County Sheriffrsquos Deputy Mike Jago held a four-day Snowmobile Safety Course at Newberry High School All participants (ages 12-15) were educated on the snowmobile laws in Michigan as well as the operation of snowmobiles At the end of the 4-day course all participants had to pass a written examine to obtain their snowmobile safety permit All participants left with a snowmobile safety certificate in hand

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Joshua Boudreaux responded to a snowmobile accident in the Grand Marais area The driver of the snowmobile advised that he was traveling approximately 80 mph when he noticed a bridge ahead sign The driver stated that he slowed down but hit a series of large moguls and lost control The driver was thrown from the sled and landed in the snow Fortunately the driver only suffered fractures to his ribs and he was treated and released from the hospital later that day

While participating in a group snowmobile patrol in Grand Marais CO Brett Gustafson contacted a snowmobile operator after he was observed not displaying a snowmobile trail permit The operator stated that it was ldquotoo coldrdquo to put it on his snowmobile When he opened his wallet a new 2017 trail permit was observed in his wallet along with his 2018 trail permit When asked the operator stated it was too cold last year The operator was not displaying a registration on his machine either When asked about his registration he could not provide proof but stated it was registered in Wisconsin The VIN on the snowmobile was covered by his custom wrap After a lengthy investigation it was determined that the operator had two valid warrants for snowmobile violations in Marquette County from 2003 Enforcement action was taken along with a significant amount of bond

11418 ndash 12918 CO Mark Zitnik and Sheriff Deputy Sam Grahovac were on snowmobile patrol on a busy Friday Over a hundred snowmobiles

were contacted within a few short hours Several warnings were given and 6 citations were issued for careless operation no trails permit and unregistered snowmobiles

CO Mark Zitnik was checking ice fishermen on Munising Bay when he checked one fisherman with what he claimed to be a 15 inch splake After measuring the fish it was clear it was not even close to the 15 inch minimum size limit Enforcement action was taken

CO Michael Evink was on patrol when he encountered three snowmobiles with numerous violations The subjects were educated on how to correct there issues Tickets were issued and additional warnings given A short time later Officer Evink was contacted by Dispatch regarding a personal injury snowmobile accident Officer Evink responded to where the injured person was located and worked with the injured person until EMS arrived The individual was cited for careless operation

CO Michael Evink doubled with a Forest Service LEO and worked an intersection in Alger County The Officers checked close to 300 sleds on a busy holiday weekend Citations were issued for no trail permit and expired registration Warnings were issued for additional violations

COs Michael Evink Christopher Lynch and Forest Service LEO David Tembreull conducted a snowmobile patrol of Munising and trails south of town The officers checked close to 250 sleds during their Friday evening patrol Warnings were given for a number of violations and tickets were issued for trail permit issues expired and unregistered machines and careless operation

COs Bobby Watson and Chris Lynch were contacting a group of fisherman near the end of their Little Bay De Noc patrol when two snowmobiles went riding by at a high rate of speed The Officers were able to observe that one of the riders was lacking the required helmet Upon making contact the two COs observed that both sleds lacked the proper required trail permit and neither had proper registration Enforcement action was taken

COs Bobby Watson and Mark Zitnik were on snowmobile patrol in Alger County when contact was made with a group of sleds at a trail intersection One of the snowmobiles was lacking the required trail permit sticker The rider claimed he had bought a sticker prior but that it must have fallen off CO Watson and CO Zitnik explained how to ensure the sticker would remain on the

13 of 17

sled by applying it properly and that without having any record of the trail permit purchase enforcement action would have to be taken

COs Chris Lynch and Bobby Watson conducted 4 patrols on Little Bay De Noc over the past 2 weekends In all several hundred contacts were made and a total of 20 citations were issued and over 75 verbal warnings were given Violations addressed were fishing without a license possessing short walleye and northern pike unattended lines fish over three lines possess mutilated fish unregistered snowmobiles fail to license ORV no nameaddress on tip ups or shanties possession of marijuana and use of marijuana

COs Chris Lynch and Bobby Watson conducted a snowmobile patrol and contacted several hundred snowmobiles 4 citations and over 30 verbal warnings were given Violations addressed were fail to obtain a trail permit fail to display trail permit unregistered snowmobile fail to exhibit registration fail to present registration certificate and carless operation

While on snowmobile patrol CO Robert Freeborn observed a snowmobile without a valid trail permit After an enforcement stop was made on the snowmobile it was determined that the snowmobiler was not aware that he did not have a trail permit and could not recall if he had bought one A citation was issued for operating without a valid trail permit

While on snowmobile patrol with a local Sheriff Deputy CO Robert Freeborn and the Deputy encountered several snowmobiles enjoying the fresh snow that had fallen the past several days Most of the snowmobilers had all the required stickers a few did not The officers located 3 snowmobiles that did not have a trail permit and another that did not have a registration displayed on the snowmobile 4 citations were issued for the violations

While working the night before an annual fishing derby on Indian Lake CO Robert Freeborn encountered several set lines in or near unoccupied shacks The lines were documented so the fisherman could be contacted the next morning CO Freeborn continued patrolling the rest of the lake and encountered several fishermen camping out to save their fishing spot During one of the contacts the Officer located a fisherman that had one too many lines out The fisherman was issued a citation for the violation While CO Freeborn was nearing the end of his lake patrol he noticed head lights of a truck heading towards the location of one of the shacks with set lines CO Freeborn made contact with the fisherman as they pulled up to one of the suspected shacks The fisherman stated that they had only been gone for 10-15 minutes CO Freeborn advised that he had documented the lines nearly 2 hours ago The fisherman stated that maybe they were gone longer than 15 minutes The fishermen were Sault Tribal members and were advised that the incident would be forwarded on to the tribal police

COs Robert Freeborn and Michael Evink along with Sgt Money and Officer Hunklee from Sault Tribe patrolled Indian Lake during the annual fishing derby The officers encountered hundreds of fisherman enjoying the balmy January day eager to catch a fish worthy of the several money prizes While checking a large group of fisherman CO Robert Freeborn recognized a fisherman that he thought had a felony warrant While checking his fishing license and ID and a check with dispatch confirmed CO Freeborns suspicions A valid felony warrant existed and the subject was placed under arrest The suspect was then transported to the nearest launch site where a MSP car transported the suspect to the local jail The Officers continued checking fisherman until they reached a shack that had a set line from the previous night CO Freeborn made contact with the subject who at first denied having a line in the water and stated that he slept in his shack all night When CO Freeborn showed him the pictures as well as the hook and minnow that was used the suspect became fairly irate and changed his story and admitted that he did leave a line in the water and left for several hours before returning late that night A citation was issued to the fisherman for unattended line

CO Tom Oberg pulled into an access site on Raber Bay after dark and noticed a car parked CO Oberg observed flashlights in the distance and noticed two individuals walking back from an ice shanty CO Oberg made contact and checked licenses and cleared the area shortly after Slightly suspicious from the contact CO Oberg went back to the location approximately 5 minutes later and walked out to the ice shanty where he located two tip-ups that were set and unattended CO Oberg patrolled up the road and was able to intercept the suspect vehicle A citation was issued for the unattended fishing lines

COs Tom Oberg and Brett Gustafson worked snowmobile trails on a busy weekend near the Paradise area With several fatal accidents already this season just in the Upper Peninsula the COs focused on corners and stop signs to make sure everyone was operating in a safe manner Several citations were issued for violations including careless operation and expired registrations

While on patrol CO Tom Oberg noticed a vehicle that slid off the road and was stuck in the ditch CO Oberg made contact with the individual to make sure he was ok Luckily because of the snow no injuries occurred The driver of the vehicle stated he felt sleepy and must have dozed off resulting in veering off the road CO Oberg and an officer from the Sault Ste Marie Police Department directed traffic while a local tow company worked on removing the vehicle

COs Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith checked fisherman on both Big and South Manistique lakes Several warnings were given for minor violations and enforcement action was taken for fishing with more than three lines and for operating unregistered snowmobiles

CO Calvin Smith was nearing the end of his patrol when he was contacted by Central Dispatch of an elderly woman needing assistance CO Smith responded to the residence to find the ladyrsquos dog had attempted to escape the kennel and had become trapped under the fence CO Smith was able to free the dog from the ice and snow and returned it to a very appreciative owner

14 of 17

CO Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith patrolled Northern Luce County by snowmobile Several snowmobilers were contacted throughout the day The COs issued several warnings for minor violations and issued six citations for careless operation of a snowmobile and snowmobile registration violations

COs Mark Zitnik Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith were on snowmobile patrol when they were notified of a snowmobile accident Once on scene the COs provided first aid to the victim who had minor injuries The operator of the snowmobile had failed to negotiate a corner and struck a tree and was ejected from the impact

CO Calvin Smith was on routine snowmobile patrol when he observed a snowmobile that was not displaying a registration decal A stop was made and when CO Smith informed the operator of the violation the snowmobiler stated they must have blown off The story quickly unraveled when CO Smith ran the snowmobile VIN not only was the registration expired since 2007 the operator had also failed to transfer the ownership with the Secretary of State Law enforcement action was taken

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux responded to a fatal snowmobile accident south of Paradise in Chippewa County The rider was unable to negotiate a curve in the trail and struck a tree Whitefish Twp EMS Whitefish Twp Fire and Chippewa County Sherriffrsquos Office assisted on scene

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux contacted an individual while patrolling Munuscong Bay during the Hard Water Classic fishing tournament As the COs pulled up on snowmobiles an individual exited his shanty to retrieve a tape measure from his truck so he could measure his freshly caught perch As the COs conversed with the individual and checked his license something smelled fishy ndash actually skunky would be a better wordhellip The inside of the shanty he had been fishing in reeked of marijuana and he claimed someone who stunk like weed had set up next to him earlier in the day and kept popping into his shanty to see how fishing was going The holes in his story led the COs to the hole in a roll of toilet paper where the marijuana was ultimately found Enforcement action was taken

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux contacted a group late in the evening fishing on Fowlers Bay With a pile of empty cans and a case of beer on the ice in front of them the three young men sheepishly handed over their fishing and drivers licenses It was discovered that two of the three were under 21 one being three days from his 21st birthday the other 2 weeks away It was also discovered the three had not labelled their tip ups with name and address as required Enforcement action was taken

COs Kevin Postma Calvin Smith and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux conducted a snowmobile patrol in Paradise Contact was made with multiple groups of riders who purchased trail stickers but did not attach them to their snowmobile as required Riders were educated on the importance of purchasing and affixing their trail stickers as the money from those stickers goes back into maintaining the trails they ride Due to warmer temperatures and intermittent rain the number of riders was down significantly from weekends prior

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux worked the Munuscong Bay Hard Water Classic There was a very large turn-out and everyone seemed to be in high spirits enjoying the warmer weather Fishing activity was relatively slow compared to weeks past but especially with the younger anglers the excitement of catching a fish (no matter how small) seemed to make up for the long days on the ice Contacts were made with anglers who forgot to bring their fishing licenses out to their shanties and they were educated on the importance of keeping it with them while in the act of fishing

Eastern UP Fisheries Division Field Units (Cory Kovacs Lake Superior Management Unit) Newberry field staff participated in the Black Lake Sturgeon spearing season The quota for 2018 was seven fish The

season was completed by 1030am Saturday morning a season that lasted nearly 3 hours Field staff has completed preparation of aging structures from the 2017 sampling season and are ready for aging

Age and growth are one of the key parameters for fisheries management and can provide valuable information when making management decisions

Management prescriptions for the 2018 calendar year have been completed These prescriptions include justification for management actions such as stocking regulation changes and habitat manipulations

Staff attended the Warmwater Resources Steering Committee held in Clare This is a group comprised of stakeholders from across the state established by Fisheries Division to help guide regulation reviews and statewide fisheries topics This group is part of the vetting process for all warmwater regulation change proposals

Staff participated in the Aquatic Resources Meeting in Marquette Attendees of this meeting are partners to the DNR Fish Division such as MDEQ USFS USFWS and US Army Corp of Engineers

Staff attended the Lake Superior Basin Team Meeting Meeting topics included Yellow Perch regulations fish marking projects Fish Division Management Team updates and USGS gaging stations review

Staff is completing reports on past fisheries surveys on area lakes and streams Please contact the Newberry DNR Office for any reports that may have been completed for your lake of interest

15 of 17

Parks amp Recreation Division Eric Cowing Eastern Supervisor Fayette Historic State Park Harbor Ice suppression installed on dock system Safety Plan Incorporating new amenities general updating Lodge Discovered water line leak Unable to find specific leak to repair so in

process of digging up to replace entire line Thanks to Escanaba amp Newberry major maintenance crews for their invaluable assistance amp expertise

12th Annual Lantern SkiSnowshoeHike held on January 27th A combination of favorable temperatures and social media presence set a new all-time attendance record 175 cars = 613 participants

Muskallonge Lake State Park Completion of Phase II headquarters relocation is 100 complete Staff are

getting settled into the new office building Consultant bids for Phase II of the campground electrical upgrades have been

reviewed and OHM has been recommended for bid award Design and engineering will take place in 2018 with hopes of construction to begin in spring of 2019

All seasonal staff is on furlough until spring The park hosted the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race on January 6th

62 teams participated Snow conditions were great and the event was very successful

Tahquamenon Falls State Park OHM Advisors have been hired as the consultant for Phase 2 of the Lower

Falls boat concession amp island visitor redevelopment project We are waiting on word from DTMB on the hiring of a consultant for the

Upper Falls water amp sewer study Other funded projects include addressing the Lower Falls road ldquoseeprdquo and

the construction of a new concession building at the Lower Falls The Park Manager position is still vacant Kevin Dennis is continuing to

work out of class in that capacity The park hosted the annual Roadtrekker motorhome winter campout on

Jan 2021 It was another great turnout with 47 registered camps each night Saturday February 3rd will mark the first of four consecutive Saturdays in February where the Park will offer guided

snowshoe hikes a lantern lit ski trail amp a bonfire with refreshments at the Upper Falls Winter camping continues to gain in popularity We have seen 6 to 10 camps most weekends with the exception of

the Roadtrekker weekend Vehicle traffic at the Upper Falls has been steady on the weekends with Recreation Passport compliance being good Snowmobiling seems to be up this year most likely due to lack of snow in other parts of the state

Brimley State ParkDetour HarborLime Island Staff will be meeting with DTMB in the spring on the Lime Island dock project (planning amp design) Detour Village boating access site (BAS) break wall project (planning amp design) will be meeting with DTMB in the

spring Received a proposal for hazardous material removal for Raber property structures waiting for stewardshipSHPO

approval and funding Campgrounds closed for the season Algonquin Ski Trail has been busy with skiers and snowshoers The trail has been groomed 2-3 timesweek

(depending on snowfall) since 121617 The trail has been averaging just over 150 usersweek since grooming started

16 of 17

The supervisor attended the LSSU Parks and Recreation Caucus on 11918 Approximately 20 LSSU Parks amp Recreation alumni attended most of which currently work for Parks Division This yearrsquos topic presentation was Friends Groups Blake Gingrich (Hoeft State Park) Trevor McGinn (Ionia) and Debbie Jones (Sault Ste Marie community foundation) were speakers Everyone was able to meet with current LSSU Parks and Recreation students to talk about careers in the outdoors and do some summer staff recruiting

Newberry Field Office Started construction of vault toilets snow removal at the south station picked excavator up from Iron Mountain for

ice dredges at Indian Lake State Park and Round Lake Luce County Access Site Started digging water line at Fayette State Park

Both rangers have been very busy with snow removal Campgrounds are not plowed for the winter months so no attendance Milikokia State Campground has had good

water samples since the pump jack has been in service The weather has been different this winter as we had rain on the 26th of January all day This made things very

slippery around the whole south station

Indian Lake amp Palms Book State Park Bids for the Laughing Whitefish Falls stairway project were due on January 24th Construction will begin this spring We have a dredge scheduled for the boat ramp at Indian Lake State Park The Big Spring has had a lot of snowmobile traffic this year

Trails Section Unit Report ndash East UP Snowmobile Trail Updates

- North of 28 good snow south gets skimpy close to US-2 - Bear Creek Swamp and Furlong Swamps are not being groomed yet but are open for riding - LP lost snow during the warm up UP is where the snow is - Trail permits are up this year 2009 had more permits for December - 4 fatalities this season on trails

ORV Trail Updates - Working on spring preseason meeting for grant sponsors - MDOT permits are in place for Moran to Detour Route proposal working on other permissions now

EventUse Permits - Sault Ste Marie Guinness Book of World Records for Snowmobile Parade - 26th Annual Long Riders Relic Ride for Charity Manistique

17 of 17

• DISTRICT 2 Law Enforcement Division Bi-Weekly Field Reports
• 1232017 ndash 12162017

snowmobile and were able to catch the snowmobiler at the next stop sign farther down the trail After a brief interview it was determined that the snowmobile was not currently registered and hadnrsquot been for years A citation was issued for failing to register the snowmobile

COs Colton Gelinas Calvin Smith Brett Gustafson Kevin Postma Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux and Sergeant Michael Hammill participated in a group snowmobile patrol in Grand Marias Alger County The COs also had a sound meter set-up to test snowmobiles believed to be over the 88 decibel sound limit Numerous citations were issued under snowmobile law

CO Colton Gelinas was on snowmobile patrol in Luce County when he observed a group of three snowmobiles approaching him at an intersection Two out of the three snowmobiles had expired registrations out of Illinois and the other did not have a registration sticker displayed CO Gelinas issued citations for operate snowmobile with expired registration and failing to display registration

CO Colton Gelinas was checking ice fishermen on a lake in Mackinac County when he discovered eight active tip-ups with nobody around them CO Gelinas also noticed a permanent shanty without a name or address CO Gelinas followed ORV tracks back to a nearby residence CO Gelinas made contact with two suspects who stated they ran out of bait and headed to town to get more CO Gelinas informed the two suspects about the line limit per angler in Michigan as well as failing to attend lines (tipshyups) and not affixing a nameaddress on all four sides of the shanty Law enforcement action was taken

CO Colton Gelinas and Luce County Sheriffrsquos Deputy Mike Jago held a four-day Snowmobile Safety Course at Newberry High School All participants (ages 12-15) were educated on the snowmobile laws in Michigan as well as the operation of snowmobiles At the end of the 4-day course all participants had to pass a written examine to obtain their snowmobile safety permit All participants left with a snowmobile safety certificate in hand

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Joshua Boudreaux responded to a snowmobile accident in the Grand Marais area The driver of the snowmobile advised that he was traveling approximately 80 mph when he noticed a bridge ahead sign The driver stated that he slowed down but hit a series of large moguls and lost control The driver was thrown from the sled and landed in the snow Fortunately the driver only suffered fractures to his ribs and he was treated and released from the hospital later that day

While participating in a group snowmobile patrol in Grand Marais CO Brett Gustafson contacted a snowmobile operator after he was observed not displaying a snowmobile trail permit The operator stated that it was ldquotoo coldrdquo to put it on his snowmobile When he opened his wallet a new 2017 trail permit was observed in his wallet along with his 2018 trail permit When asked the operator stated it was too cold last year The operator was not displaying a registration on his machine either When asked about his registration he could not provide proof but stated it was registered in Wisconsin The VIN on the snowmobile was covered by his custom wrap After a lengthy investigation it was determined that the operator had two valid warrants for snowmobile violations in Marquette County from 2003 Enforcement action was taken along with a significant amount of bond

11418 ndash 12918 CO Mark Zitnik and Sheriff Deputy Sam Grahovac were on snowmobile patrol on a busy Friday Over a hundred snowmobiles

were contacted within a few short hours Several warnings were given and 6 citations were issued for careless operation no trails permit and unregistered snowmobiles

CO Mark Zitnik was checking ice fishermen on Munising Bay when he checked one fisherman with what he claimed to be a 15 inch splake After measuring the fish it was clear it was not even close to the 15 inch minimum size limit Enforcement action was taken

CO Michael Evink was on patrol when he encountered three snowmobiles with numerous violations The subjects were educated on how to correct there issues Tickets were issued and additional warnings given A short time later Officer Evink was contacted by Dispatch regarding a personal injury snowmobile accident Officer Evink responded to where the injured person was located and worked with the injured person until EMS arrived The individual was cited for careless operation

CO Michael Evink doubled with a Forest Service LEO and worked an intersection in Alger County The Officers checked close to 300 sleds on a busy holiday weekend Citations were issued for no trail permit and expired registration Warnings were issued for additional violations

COs Michael Evink Christopher Lynch and Forest Service LEO David Tembreull conducted a snowmobile patrol of Munising and trails south of town The officers checked close to 250 sleds during their Friday evening patrol Warnings were given for a number of violations and tickets were issued for trail permit issues expired and unregistered machines and careless operation

COs Bobby Watson and Chris Lynch were contacting a group of fisherman near the end of their Little Bay De Noc patrol when two snowmobiles went riding by at a high rate of speed The Officers were able to observe that one of the riders was lacking the required helmet Upon making contact the two COs observed that both sleds lacked the proper required trail permit and neither had proper registration Enforcement action was taken

COs Bobby Watson and Mark Zitnik were on snowmobile patrol in Alger County when contact was made with a group of sleds at a trail intersection One of the snowmobiles was lacking the required trail permit sticker The rider claimed he had bought a sticker prior but that it must have fallen off CO Watson and CO Zitnik explained how to ensure the sticker would remain on the

13 of 17

sled by applying it properly and that without having any record of the trail permit purchase enforcement action would have to be taken

COs Chris Lynch and Bobby Watson conducted 4 patrols on Little Bay De Noc over the past 2 weekends In all several hundred contacts were made and a total of 20 citations were issued and over 75 verbal warnings were given Violations addressed were fishing without a license possessing short walleye and northern pike unattended lines fish over three lines possess mutilated fish unregistered snowmobiles fail to license ORV no nameaddress on tip ups or shanties possession of marijuana and use of marijuana

COs Chris Lynch and Bobby Watson conducted a snowmobile patrol and contacted several hundred snowmobiles 4 citations and over 30 verbal warnings were given Violations addressed were fail to obtain a trail permit fail to display trail permit unregistered snowmobile fail to exhibit registration fail to present registration certificate and carless operation

While on snowmobile patrol CO Robert Freeborn observed a snowmobile without a valid trail permit After an enforcement stop was made on the snowmobile it was determined that the snowmobiler was not aware that he did not have a trail permit and could not recall if he had bought one A citation was issued for operating without a valid trail permit

While on snowmobile patrol with a local Sheriff Deputy CO Robert Freeborn and the Deputy encountered several snowmobiles enjoying the fresh snow that had fallen the past several days Most of the snowmobilers had all the required stickers a few did not The officers located 3 snowmobiles that did not have a trail permit and another that did not have a registration displayed on the snowmobile 4 citations were issued for the violations

While working the night before an annual fishing derby on Indian Lake CO Robert Freeborn encountered several set lines in or near unoccupied shacks The lines were documented so the fisherman could be contacted the next morning CO Freeborn continued patrolling the rest of the lake and encountered several fishermen camping out to save their fishing spot During one of the contacts the Officer located a fisherman that had one too many lines out The fisherman was issued a citation for the violation While CO Freeborn was nearing the end of his lake patrol he noticed head lights of a truck heading towards the location of one of the shacks with set lines CO Freeborn made contact with the fisherman as they pulled up to one of the suspected shacks The fisherman stated that they had only been gone for 10-15 minutes CO Freeborn advised that he had documented the lines nearly 2 hours ago The fisherman stated that maybe they were gone longer than 15 minutes The fishermen were Sault Tribal members and were advised that the incident would be forwarded on to the tribal police

COs Robert Freeborn and Michael Evink along with Sgt Money and Officer Hunklee from Sault Tribe patrolled Indian Lake during the annual fishing derby The officers encountered hundreds of fisherman enjoying the balmy January day eager to catch a fish worthy of the several money prizes While checking a large group of fisherman CO Robert Freeborn recognized a fisherman that he thought had a felony warrant While checking his fishing license and ID and a check with dispatch confirmed CO Freeborns suspicions A valid felony warrant existed and the subject was placed under arrest The suspect was then transported to the nearest launch site where a MSP car transported the suspect to the local jail The Officers continued checking fisherman until they reached a shack that had a set line from the previous night CO Freeborn made contact with the subject who at first denied having a line in the water and stated that he slept in his shack all night When CO Freeborn showed him the pictures as well as the hook and minnow that was used the suspect became fairly irate and changed his story and admitted that he did leave a line in the water and left for several hours before returning late that night A citation was issued to the fisherman for unattended line

CO Tom Oberg pulled into an access site on Raber Bay after dark and noticed a car parked CO Oberg observed flashlights in the distance and noticed two individuals walking back from an ice shanty CO Oberg made contact and checked licenses and cleared the area shortly after Slightly suspicious from the contact CO Oberg went back to the location approximately 5 minutes later and walked out to the ice shanty where he located two tip-ups that were set and unattended CO Oberg patrolled up the road and was able to intercept the suspect vehicle A citation was issued for the unattended fishing lines

COs Tom Oberg and Brett Gustafson worked snowmobile trails on a busy weekend near the Paradise area With several fatal accidents already this season just in the Upper Peninsula the COs focused on corners and stop signs to make sure everyone was operating in a safe manner Several citations were issued for violations including careless operation and expired registrations

While on patrol CO Tom Oberg noticed a vehicle that slid off the road and was stuck in the ditch CO Oberg made contact with the individual to make sure he was ok Luckily because of the snow no injuries occurred The driver of the vehicle stated he felt sleepy and must have dozed off resulting in veering off the road CO Oberg and an officer from the Sault Ste Marie Police Department directed traffic while a local tow company worked on removing the vehicle

COs Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith checked fisherman on both Big and South Manistique lakes Several warnings were given for minor violations and enforcement action was taken for fishing with more than three lines and for operating unregistered snowmobiles

CO Calvin Smith was nearing the end of his patrol when he was contacted by Central Dispatch of an elderly woman needing assistance CO Smith responded to the residence to find the ladyrsquos dog had attempted to escape the kennel and had become trapped under the fence CO Smith was able to free the dog from the ice and snow and returned it to a very appreciative owner

14 of 17

CO Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith patrolled Northern Luce County by snowmobile Several snowmobilers were contacted throughout the day The COs issued several warnings for minor violations and issued six citations for careless operation of a snowmobile and snowmobile registration violations

COs Mark Zitnik Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith were on snowmobile patrol when they were notified of a snowmobile accident Once on scene the COs provided first aid to the victim who had minor injuries The operator of the snowmobile had failed to negotiate a corner and struck a tree and was ejected from the impact

CO Calvin Smith was on routine snowmobile patrol when he observed a snowmobile that was not displaying a registration decal A stop was made and when CO Smith informed the operator of the violation the snowmobiler stated they must have blown off The story quickly unraveled when CO Smith ran the snowmobile VIN not only was the registration expired since 2007 the operator had also failed to transfer the ownership with the Secretary of State Law enforcement action was taken

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux responded to a fatal snowmobile accident south of Paradise in Chippewa County The rider was unable to negotiate a curve in the trail and struck a tree Whitefish Twp EMS Whitefish Twp Fire and Chippewa County Sherriffrsquos Office assisted on scene

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux contacted an individual while patrolling Munuscong Bay during the Hard Water Classic fishing tournament As the COs pulled up on snowmobiles an individual exited his shanty to retrieve a tape measure from his truck so he could measure his freshly caught perch As the COs conversed with the individual and checked his license something smelled fishy ndash actually skunky would be a better wordhellip The inside of the shanty he had been fishing in reeked of marijuana and he claimed someone who stunk like weed had set up next to him earlier in the day and kept popping into his shanty to see how fishing was going The holes in his story led the COs to the hole in a roll of toilet paper where the marijuana was ultimately found Enforcement action was taken

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux contacted a group late in the evening fishing on Fowlers Bay With a pile of empty cans and a case of beer on the ice in front of them the three young men sheepishly handed over their fishing and drivers licenses It was discovered that two of the three were under 21 one being three days from his 21st birthday the other 2 weeks away It was also discovered the three had not labelled their tip ups with name and address as required Enforcement action was taken

COs Kevin Postma Calvin Smith and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux conducted a snowmobile patrol in Paradise Contact was made with multiple groups of riders who purchased trail stickers but did not attach them to their snowmobile as required Riders were educated on the importance of purchasing and affixing their trail stickers as the money from those stickers goes back into maintaining the trails they ride Due to warmer temperatures and intermittent rain the number of riders was down significantly from weekends prior

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux worked the Munuscong Bay Hard Water Classic There was a very large turn-out and everyone seemed to be in high spirits enjoying the warmer weather Fishing activity was relatively slow compared to weeks past but especially with the younger anglers the excitement of catching a fish (no matter how small) seemed to make up for the long days on the ice Contacts were made with anglers who forgot to bring their fishing licenses out to their shanties and they were educated on the importance of keeping it with them while in the act of fishing

Eastern UP Fisheries Division Field Units (Cory Kovacs Lake Superior Management Unit) Newberry field staff participated in the Black Lake Sturgeon spearing season The quota for 2018 was seven fish The

season was completed by 1030am Saturday morning a season that lasted nearly 3 hours Field staff has completed preparation of aging structures from the 2017 sampling season and are ready for aging

Age and growth are one of the key parameters for fisheries management and can provide valuable information when making management decisions

Management prescriptions for the 2018 calendar year have been completed These prescriptions include justification for management actions such as stocking regulation changes and habitat manipulations

Staff attended the Warmwater Resources Steering Committee held in Clare This is a group comprised of stakeholders from across the state established by Fisheries Division to help guide regulation reviews and statewide fisheries topics This group is part of the vetting process for all warmwater regulation change proposals

Staff participated in the Aquatic Resources Meeting in Marquette Attendees of this meeting are partners to the DNR Fish Division such as MDEQ USFS USFWS and US Army Corp of Engineers

Staff attended the Lake Superior Basin Team Meeting Meeting topics included Yellow Perch regulations fish marking projects Fish Division Management Team updates and USGS gaging stations review

Staff is completing reports on past fisheries surveys on area lakes and streams Please contact the Newberry DNR Office for any reports that may have been completed for your lake of interest

15 of 17

Parks amp Recreation Division Eric Cowing Eastern Supervisor Fayette Historic State Park Harbor Ice suppression installed on dock system Safety Plan Incorporating new amenities general updating Lodge Discovered water line leak Unable to find specific leak to repair so in

process of digging up to replace entire line Thanks to Escanaba amp Newberry major maintenance crews for their invaluable assistance amp expertise

12th Annual Lantern SkiSnowshoeHike held on January 27th A combination of favorable temperatures and social media presence set a new all-time attendance record 175 cars = 613 participants

Muskallonge Lake State Park Completion of Phase II headquarters relocation is 100 complete Staff are

getting settled into the new office building Consultant bids for Phase II of the campground electrical upgrades have been

reviewed and OHM has been recommended for bid award Design and engineering will take place in 2018 with hopes of construction to begin in spring of 2019

All seasonal staff is on furlough until spring The park hosted the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race on January 6th

62 teams participated Snow conditions were great and the event was very successful

Tahquamenon Falls State Park OHM Advisors have been hired as the consultant for Phase 2 of the Lower

Falls boat concession amp island visitor redevelopment project We are waiting on word from DTMB on the hiring of a consultant for the

Upper Falls water amp sewer study Other funded projects include addressing the Lower Falls road ldquoseeprdquo and

the construction of a new concession building at the Lower Falls The Park Manager position is still vacant Kevin Dennis is continuing to

work out of class in that capacity The park hosted the annual Roadtrekker motorhome winter campout on

Jan 2021 It was another great turnout with 47 registered camps each night Saturday February 3rd will mark the first of four consecutive Saturdays in February where the Park will offer guided

snowshoe hikes a lantern lit ski trail amp a bonfire with refreshments at the Upper Falls Winter camping continues to gain in popularity We have seen 6 to 10 camps most weekends with the exception of

the Roadtrekker weekend Vehicle traffic at the Upper Falls has been steady on the weekends with Recreation Passport compliance being good Snowmobiling seems to be up this year most likely due to lack of snow in other parts of the state

Brimley State ParkDetour HarborLime Island Staff will be meeting with DTMB in the spring on the Lime Island dock project (planning amp design) Detour Village boating access site (BAS) break wall project (planning amp design) will be meeting with DTMB in the

spring Received a proposal for hazardous material removal for Raber property structures waiting for stewardshipSHPO

approval and funding Campgrounds closed for the season Algonquin Ski Trail has been busy with skiers and snowshoers The trail has been groomed 2-3 timesweek

(depending on snowfall) since 121617 The trail has been averaging just over 150 usersweek since grooming started

16 of 17

The supervisor attended the LSSU Parks and Recreation Caucus on 11918 Approximately 20 LSSU Parks amp Recreation alumni attended most of which currently work for Parks Division This yearrsquos topic presentation was Friends Groups Blake Gingrich (Hoeft State Park) Trevor McGinn (Ionia) and Debbie Jones (Sault Ste Marie community foundation) were speakers Everyone was able to meet with current LSSU Parks and Recreation students to talk about careers in the outdoors and do some summer staff recruiting

Newberry Field Office Started construction of vault toilets snow removal at the south station picked excavator up from Iron Mountain for

ice dredges at Indian Lake State Park and Round Lake Luce County Access Site Started digging water line at Fayette State Park

Both rangers have been very busy with snow removal Campgrounds are not plowed for the winter months so no attendance Milikokia State Campground has had good

water samples since the pump jack has been in service The weather has been different this winter as we had rain on the 26th of January all day This made things very

slippery around the whole south station

Indian Lake amp Palms Book State Park Bids for the Laughing Whitefish Falls stairway project were due on January 24th Construction will begin this spring We have a dredge scheduled for the boat ramp at Indian Lake State Park The Big Spring has had a lot of snowmobile traffic this year

Trails Section Unit Report ndash East UP Snowmobile Trail Updates

- North of 28 good snow south gets skimpy close to US-2 - Bear Creek Swamp and Furlong Swamps are not being groomed yet but are open for riding - LP lost snow during the warm up UP is where the snow is - Trail permits are up this year 2009 had more permits for December - 4 fatalities this season on trails

ORV Trail Updates - Working on spring preseason meeting for grant sponsors - MDOT permits are in place for Moran to Detour Route proposal working on other permissions now

EventUse Permits - Sault Ste Marie Guinness Book of World Records for Snowmobile Parade - 26th Annual Long Riders Relic Ride for Charity Manistique

17 of 17

• DISTRICT 2 Law Enforcement Division Bi-Weekly Field Reports
• 1232017 ndash 12162017

sled by applying it properly and that without having any record of the trail permit purchase enforcement action would have to be taken

COs Chris Lynch and Bobby Watson conducted 4 patrols on Little Bay De Noc over the past 2 weekends In all several hundred contacts were made and a total of 20 citations were issued and over 75 verbal warnings were given Violations addressed were fishing without a license possessing short walleye and northern pike unattended lines fish over three lines possess mutilated fish unregistered snowmobiles fail to license ORV no nameaddress on tip ups or shanties possession of marijuana and use of marijuana

COs Chris Lynch and Bobby Watson conducted a snowmobile patrol and contacted several hundred snowmobiles 4 citations and over 30 verbal warnings were given Violations addressed were fail to obtain a trail permit fail to display trail permit unregistered snowmobile fail to exhibit registration fail to present registration certificate and carless operation

While on snowmobile patrol CO Robert Freeborn observed a snowmobile without a valid trail permit After an enforcement stop was made on the snowmobile it was determined that the snowmobiler was not aware that he did not have a trail permit and could not recall if he had bought one A citation was issued for operating without a valid trail permit

While on snowmobile patrol with a local Sheriff Deputy CO Robert Freeborn and the Deputy encountered several snowmobiles enjoying the fresh snow that had fallen the past several days Most of the snowmobilers had all the required stickers a few did not The officers located 3 snowmobiles that did not have a trail permit and another that did not have a registration displayed on the snowmobile 4 citations were issued for the violations

While working the night before an annual fishing derby on Indian Lake CO Robert Freeborn encountered several set lines in or near unoccupied shacks The lines were documented so the fisherman could be contacted the next morning CO Freeborn continued patrolling the rest of the lake and encountered several fishermen camping out to save their fishing spot During one of the contacts the Officer located a fisherman that had one too many lines out The fisherman was issued a citation for the violation While CO Freeborn was nearing the end of his lake patrol he noticed head lights of a truck heading towards the location of one of the shacks with set lines CO Freeborn made contact with the fisherman as they pulled up to one of the suspected shacks The fisherman stated that they had only been gone for 10-15 minutes CO Freeborn advised that he had documented the lines nearly 2 hours ago The fisherman stated that maybe they were gone longer than 15 minutes The fishermen were Sault Tribal members and were advised that the incident would be forwarded on to the tribal police

COs Robert Freeborn and Michael Evink along with Sgt Money and Officer Hunklee from Sault Tribe patrolled Indian Lake during the annual fishing derby The officers encountered hundreds of fisherman enjoying the balmy January day eager to catch a fish worthy of the several money prizes While checking a large group of fisherman CO Robert Freeborn recognized a fisherman that he thought had a felony warrant While checking his fishing license and ID and a check with dispatch confirmed CO Freeborns suspicions A valid felony warrant existed and the subject was placed under arrest The suspect was then transported to the nearest launch site where a MSP car transported the suspect to the local jail The Officers continued checking fisherman until they reached a shack that had a set line from the previous night CO Freeborn made contact with the subject who at first denied having a line in the water and stated that he slept in his shack all night When CO Freeborn showed him the pictures as well as the hook and minnow that was used the suspect became fairly irate and changed his story and admitted that he did leave a line in the water and left for several hours before returning late that night A citation was issued to the fisherman for unattended line

CO Tom Oberg pulled into an access site on Raber Bay after dark and noticed a car parked CO Oberg observed flashlights in the distance and noticed two individuals walking back from an ice shanty CO Oberg made contact and checked licenses and cleared the area shortly after Slightly suspicious from the contact CO Oberg went back to the location approximately 5 minutes later and walked out to the ice shanty where he located two tip-ups that were set and unattended CO Oberg patrolled up the road and was able to intercept the suspect vehicle A citation was issued for the unattended fishing lines

COs Tom Oberg and Brett Gustafson worked snowmobile trails on a busy weekend near the Paradise area With several fatal accidents already this season just in the Upper Peninsula the COs focused on corners and stop signs to make sure everyone was operating in a safe manner Several citations were issued for violations including careless operation and expired registrations

While on patrol CO Tom Oberg noticed a vehicle that slid off the road and was stuck in the ditch CO Oberg made contact with the individual to make sure he was ok Luckily because of the snow no injuries occurred The driver of the vehicle stated he felt sleepy and must have dozed off resulting in veering off the road CO Oberg and an officer from the Sault Ste Marie Police Department directed traffic while a local tow company worked on removing the vehicle

COs Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith checked fisherman on both Big and South Manistique lakes Several warnings were given for minor violations and enforcement action was taken for fishing with more than three lines and for operating unregistered snowmobiles

CO Calvin Smith was nearing the end of his patrol when he was contacted by Central Dispatch of an elderly woman needing assistance CO Smith responded to the residence to find the ladyrsquos dog had attempted to escape the kennel and had become trapped under the fence CO Smith was able to free the dog from the ice and snow and returned it to a very appreciative owner

14 of 17

CO Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith patrolled Northern Luce County by snowmobile Several snowmobilers were contacted throughout the day The COs issued several warnings for minor violations and issued six citations for careless operation of a snowmobile and snowmobile registration violations

COs Mark Zitnik Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith were on snowmobile patrol when they were notified of a snowmobile accident Once on scene the COs provided first aid to the victim who had minor injuries The operator of the snowmobile had failed to negotiate a corner and struck a tree and was ejected from the impact

CO Calvin Smith was on routine snowmobile patrol when he observed a snowmobile that was not displaying a registration decal A stop was made and when CO Smith informed the operator of the violation the snowmobiler stated they must have blown off The story quickly unraveled when CO Smith ran the snowmobile VIN not only was the registration expired since 2007 the operator had also failed to transfer the ownership with the Secretary of State Law enforcement action was taken

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux responded to a fatal snowmobile accident south of Paradise in Chippewa County The rider was unable to negotiate a curve in the trail and struck a tree Whitefish Twp EMS Whitefish Twp Fire and Chippewa County Sherriffrsquos Office assisted on scene

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux contacted an individual while patrolling Munuscong Bay during the Hard Water Classic fishing tournament As the COs pulled up on snowmobiles an individual exited his shanty to retrieve a tape measure from his truck so he could measure his freshly caught perch As the COs conversed with the individual and checked his license something smelled fishy ndash actually skunky would be a better wordhellip The inside of the shanty he had been fishing in reeked of marijuana and he claimed someone who stunk like weed had set up next to him earlier in the day and kept popping into his shanty to see how fishing was going The holes in his story led the COs to the hole in a roll of toilet paper where the marijuana was ultimately found Enforcement action was taken

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux contacted a group late in the evening fishing on Fowlers Bay With a pile of empty cans and a case of beer on the ice in front of them the three young men sheepishly handed over their fishing and drivers licenses It was discovered that two of the three were under 21 one being three days from his 21st birthday the other 2 weeks away It was also discovered the three had not labelled their tip ups with name and address as required Enforcement action was taken

COs Kevin Postma Calvin Smith and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux conducted a snowmobile patrol in Paradise Contact was made with multiple groups of riders who purchased trail stickers but did not attach them to their snowmobile as required Riders were educated on the importance of purchasing and affixing their trail stickers as the money from those stickers goes back into maintaining the trails they ride Due to warmer temperatures and intermittent rain the number of riders was down significantly from weekends prior

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux worked the Munuscong Bay Hard Water Classic There was a very large turn-out and everyone seemed to be in high spirits enjoying the warmer weather Fishing activity was relatively slow compared to weeks past but especially with the younger anglers the excitement of catching a fish (no matter how small) seemed to make up for the long days on the ice Contacts were made with anglers who forgot to bring their fishing licenses out to their shanties and they were educated on the importance of keeping it with them while in the act of fishing

Eastern UP Fisheries Division Field Units (Cory Kovacs Lake Superior Management Unit) Newberry field staff participated in the Black Lake Sturgeon spearing season The quota for 2018 was seven fish The

season was completed by 1030am Saturday morning a season that lasted nearly 3 hours Field staff has completed preparation of aging structures from the 2017 sampling season and are ready for aging

Age and growth are one of the key parameters for fisheries management and can provide valuable information when making management decisions

Management prescriptions for the 2018 calendar year have been completed These prescriptions include justification for management actions such as stocking regulation changes and habitat manipulations

Staff attended the Warmwater Resources Steering Committee held in Clare This is a group comprised of stakeholders from across the state established by Fisheries Division to help guide regulation reviews and statewide fisheries topics This group is part of the vetting process for all warmwater regulation change proposals

Staff participated in the Aquatic Resources Meeting in Marquette Attendees of this meeting are partners to the DNR Fish Division such as MDEQ USFS USFWS and US Army Corp of Engineers

Staff attended the Lake Superior Basin Team Meeting Meeting topics included Yellow Perch regulations fish marking projects Fish Division Management Team updates and USGS gaging stations review

Staff is completing reports on past fisheries surveys on area lakes and streams Please contact the Newberry DNR Office for any reports that may have been completed for your lake of interest

15 of 17

Parks amp Recreation Division Eric Cowing Eastern Supervisor Fayette Historic State Park Harbor Ice suppression installed on dock system Safety Plan Incorporating new amenities general updating Lodge Discovered water line leak Unable to find specific leak to repair so in

process of digging up to replace entire line Thanks to Escanaba amp Newberry major maintenance crews for their invaluable assistance amp expertise

12th Annual Lantern SkiSnowshoeHike held on January 27th A combination of favorable temperatures and social media presence set a new all-time attendance record 175 cars = 613 participants

Muskallonge Lake State Park Completion of Phase II headquarters relocation is 100 complete Staff are

getting settled into the new office building Consultant bids for Phase II of the campground electrical upgrades have been

reviewed and OHM has been recommended for bid award Design and engineering will take place in 2018 with hopes of construction to begin in spring of 2019

All seasonal staff is on furlough until spring The park hosted the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race on January 6th

62 teams participated Snow conditions were great and the event was very successful

Tahquamenon Falls State Park OHM Advisors have been hired as the consultant for Phase 2 of the Lower

Falls boat concession amp island visitor redevelopment project We are waiting on word from DTMB on the hiring of a consultant for the

Upper Falls water amp sewer study Other funded projects include addressing the Lower Falls road ldquoseeprdquo and

the construction of a new concession building at the Lower Falls The Park Manager position is still vacant Kevin Dennis is continuing to

work out of class in that capacity The park hosted the annual Roadtrekker motorhome winter campout on

Jan 2021 It was another great turnout with 47 registered camps each night Saturday February 3rd will mark the first of four consecutive Saturdays in February where the Park will offer guided

snowshoe hikes a lantern lit ski trail amp a bonfire with refreshments at the Upper Falls Winter camping continues to gain in popularity We have seen 6 to 10 camps most weekends with the exception of

the Roadtrekker weekend Vehicle traffic at the Upper Falls has been steady on the weekends with Recreation Passport compliance being good Snowmobiling seems to be up this year most likely due to lack of snow in other parts of the state

Brimley State ParkDetour HarborLime Island Staff will be meeting with DTMB in the spring on the Lime Island dock project (planning amp design) Detour Village boating access site (BAS) break wall project (planning amp design) will be meeting with DTMB in the

spring Received a proposal for hazardous material removal for Raber property structures waiting for stewardshipSHPO

approval and funding Campgrounds closed for the season Algonquin Ski Trail has been busy with skiers and snowshoers The trail has been groomed 2-3 timesweek

(depending on snowfall) since 121617 The trail has been averaging just over 150 usersweek since grooming started

16 of 17

The supervisor attended the LSSU Parks and Recreation Caucus on 11918 Approximately 20 LSSU Parks amp Recreation alumni attended most of which currently work for Parks Division This yearrsquos topic presentation was Friends Groups Blake Gingrich (Hoeft State Park) Trevor McGinn (Ionia) and Debbie Jones (Sault Ste Marie community foundation) were speakers Everyone was able to meet with current LSSU Parks and Recreation students to talk about careers in the outdoors and do some summer staff recruiting

Newberry Field Office Started construction of vault toilets snow removal at the south station picked excavator up from Iron Mountain for

ice dredges at Indian Lake State Park and Round Lake Luce County Access Site Started digging water line at Fayette State Park

Both rangers have been very busy with snow removal Campgrounds are not plowed for the winter months so no attendance Milikokia State Campground has had good

water samples since the pump jack has been in service The weather has been different this winter as we had rain on the 26th of January all day This made things very

slippery around the whole south station

Indian Lake amp Palms Book State Park Bids for the Laughing Whitefish Falls stairway project were due on January 24th Construction will begin this spring We have a dredge scheduled for the boat ramp at Indian Lake State Park The Big Spring has had a lot of snowmobile traffic this year

Trails Section Unit Report ndash East UP Snowmobile Trail Updates

- North of 28 good snow south gets skimpy close to US-2 - Bear Creek Swamp and Furlong Swamps are not being groomed yet but are open for riding - LP lost snow during the warm up UP is where the snow is - Trail permits are up this year 2009 had more permits for December - 4 fatalities this season on trails

ORV Trail Updates - Working on spring preseason meeting for grant sponsors - MDOT permits are in place for Moran to Detour Route proposal working on other permissions now

EventUse Permits - Sault Ste Marie Guinness Book of World Records for Snowmobile Parade - 26th Annual Long Riders Relic Ride for Charity Manistique

17 of 17

• DISTRICT 2 Law Enforcement Division Bi-Weekly Field Reports
• 1232017 ndash 12162017

CO Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith patrolled Northern Luce County by snowmobile Several snowmobilers were contacted throughout the day The COs issued several warnings for minor violations and issued six citations for careless operation of a snowmobile and snowmobile registration violations

COs Mark Zitnik Colton Gelinas and Calvin Smith were on snowmobile patrol when they were notified of a snowmobile accident Once on scene the COs provided first aid to the victim who had minor injuries The operator of the snowmobile had failed to negotiate a corner and struck a tree and was ejected from the impact

CO Calvin Smith was on routine snowmobile patrol when he observed a snowmobile that was not displaying a registration decal A stop was made and when CO Smith informed the operator of the violation the snowmobiler stated they must have blown off The story quickly unraveled when CO Smith ran the snowmobile VIN not only was the registration expired since 2007 the operator had also failed to transfer the ownership with the Secretary of State Law enforcement action was taken

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux responded to a fatal snowmobile accident south of Paradise in Chippewa County The rider was unable to negotiate a curve in the trail and struck a tree Whitefish Twp EMS Whitefish Twp Fire and Chippewa County Sherriffrsquos Office assisted on scene

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux contacted an individual while patrolling Munuscong Bay during the Hard Water Classic fishing tournament As the COs pulled up on snowmobiles an individual exited his shanty to retrieve a tape measure from his truck so he could measure his freshly caught perch As the COs conversed with the individual and checked his license something smelled fishy ndash actually skunky would be a better wordhellip The inside of the shanty he had been fishing in reeked of marijuana and he claimed someone who stunk like weed had set up next to him earlier in the day and kept popping into his shanty to see how fishing was going The holes in his story led the COs to the hole in a roll of toilet paper where the marijuana was ultimately found Enforcement action was taken

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux contacted a group late in the evening fishing on Fowlers Bay With a pile of empty cans and a case of beer on the ice in front of them the three young men sheepishly handed over their fishing and drivers licenses It was discovered that two of the three were under 21 one being three days from his 21st birthday the other 2 weeks away It was also discovered the three had not labelled their tip ups with name and address as required Enforcement action was taken

COs Kevin Postma Calvin Smith and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux conducted a snowmobile patrol in Paradise Contact was made with multiple groups of riders who purchased trail stickers but did not attach them to their snowmobile as required Riders were educated on the importance of purchasing and affixing their trail stickers as the money from those stickers goes back into maintaining the trails they ride Due to warmer temperatures and intermittent rain the number of riders was down significantly from weekends prior

CO Kevin Postma and Probationary CO Josh Boudreaux worked the Munuscong Bay Hard Water Classic There was a very large turn-out and everyone seemed to be in high spirits enjoying the warmer weather Fishing activity was relatively slow compared to weeks past but especially with the younger anglers the excitement of catching a fish (no matter how small) seemed to make up for the long days on the ice Contacts were made with anglers who forgot to bring their fishing licenses out to their shanties and they were educated on the importance of keeping it with them while in the act of fishing

Eastern UP Fisheries Division Field Units (Cory Kovacs Lake Superior Management Unit) Newberry field staff participated in the Black Lake Sturgeon spearing season The quota for 2018 was seven fish The

season was completed by 1030am Saturday morning a season that lasted nearly 3 hours Field staff has completed preparation of aging structures from the 2017 sampling season and are ready for aging

Age and growth are one of the key parameters for fisheries management and can provide valuable information when making management decisions

Management prescriptions for the 2018 calendar year have been completed These prescriptions include justification for management actions such as stocking regulation changes and habitat manipulations

Staff attended the Warmwater Resources Steering Committee held in Clare This is a group comprised of stakeholders from across the state established by Fisheries Division to help guide regulation reviews and statewide fisheries topics This group is part of the vetting process for all warmwater regulation change proposals

Staff participated in the Aquatic Resources Meeting in Marquette Attendees of this meeting are partners to the DNR Fish Division such as MDEQ USFS USFWS and US Army Corp of Engineers

Staff attended the Lake Superior Basin Team Meeting Meeting topics included Yellow Perch regulations fish marking projects Fish Division Management Team updates and USGS gaging stations review

Staff is completing reports on past fisheries surveys on area lakes and streams Please contact the Newberry DNR Office for any reports that may have been completed for your lake of interest

15 of 17

Parks amp Recreation Division Eric Cowing Eastern Supervisor Fayette Historic State Park Harbor Ice suppression installed on dock system Safety Plan Incorporating new amenities general updating Lodge Discovered water line leak Unable to find specific leak to repair so in

process of digging up to replace entire line Thanks to Escanaba amp Newberry major maintenance crews for their invaluable assistance amp expertise

12th Annual Lantern SkiSnowshoeHike held on January 27th A combination of favorable temperatures and social media presence set a new all-time attendance record 175 cars = 613 participants

Muskallonge Lake State Park Completion of Phase II headquarters relocation is 100 complete Staff are

getting settled into the new office building Consultant bids for Phase II of the campground electrical upgrades have been

reviewed and OHM has been recommended for bid award Design and engineering will take place in 2018 with hopes of construction to begin in spring of 2019

All seasonal staff is on furlough until spring The park hosted the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race on January 6th

62 teams participated Snow conditions were great and the event was very successful

Tahquamenon Falls State Park OHM Advisors have been hired as the consultant for Phase 2 of the Lower

Falls boat concession amp island visitor redevelopment project We are waiting on word from DTMB on the hiring of a consultant for the

Upper Falls water amp sewer study Other funded projects include addressing the Lower Falls road ldquoseeprdquo and

the construction of a new concession building at the Lower Falls The Park Manager position is still vacant Kevin Dennis is continuing to

work out of class in that capacity The park hosted the annual Roadtrekker motorhome winter campout on

Jan 2021 It was another great turnout with 47 registered camps each night Saturday February 3rd will mark the first of four consecutive Saturdays in February where the Park will offer guided

snowshoe hikes a lantern lit ski trail amp a bonfire with refreshments at the Upper Falls Winter camping continues to gain in popularity We have seen 6 to 10 camps most weekends with the exception of

the Roadtrekker weekend Vehicle traffic at the Upper Falls has been steady on the weekends with Recreation Passport compliance being good Snowmobiling seems to be up this year most likely due to lack of snow in other parts of the state

Brimley State ParkDetour HarborLime Island Staff will be meeting with DTMB in the spring on the Lime Island dock project (planning amp design) Detour Village boating access site (BAS) break wall project (planning amp design) will be meeting with DTMB in the

spring Received a proposal for hazardous material removal for Raber property structures waiting for stewardshipSHPO

approval and funding Campgrounds closed for the season Algonquin Ski Trail has been busy with skiers and snowshoers The trail has been groomed 2-3 timesweek

(depending on snowfall) since 121617 The trail has been averaging just over 150 usersweek since grooming started

16 of 17

The supervisor attended the LSSU Parks and Recreation Caucus on 11918 Approximately 20 LSSU Parks amp Recreation alumni attended most of which currently work for Parks Division This yearrsquos topic presentation was Friends Groups Blake Gingrich (Hoeft State Park) Trevor McGinn (Ionia) and Debbie Jones (Sault Ste Marie community foundation) were speakers Everyone was able to meet with current LSSU Parks and Recreation students to talk about careers in the outdoors and do some summer staff recruiting

Newberry Field Office Started construction of vault toilets snow removal at the south station picked excavator up from Iron Mountain for

ice dredges at Indian Lake State Park and Round Lake Luce County Access Site Started digging water line at Fayette State Park

Both rangers have been very busy with snow removal Campgrounds are not plowed for the winter months so no attendance Milikokia State Campground has had good

water samples since the pump jack has been in service The weather has been different this winter as we had rain on the 26th of January all day This made things very

slippery around the whole south station

Indian Lake amp Palms Book State Park Bids for the Laughing Whitefish Falls stairway project were due on January 24th Construction will begin this spring We have a dredge scheduled for the boat ramp at Indian Lake State Park The Big Spring has had a lot of snowmobile traffic this year

Trails Section Unit Report ndash East UP Snowmobile Trail Updates

- North of 28 good snow south gets skimpy close to US-2 - Bear Creek Swamp and Furlong Swamps are not being groomed yet but are open for riding - LP lost snow during the warm up UP is where the snow is - Trail permits are up this year 2009 had more permits for December - 4 fatalities this season on trails

ORV Trail Updates - Working on spring preseason meeting for grant sponsors - MDOT permits are in place for Moran to Detour Route proposal working on other permissions now

EventUse Permits - Sault Ste Marie Guinness Book of World Records for Snowmobile Parade - 26th Annual Long Riders Relic Ride for Charity Manistique

17 of 17

• DISTRICT 2 Law Enforcement Division Bi-Weekly Field Reports
• 1232017 ndash 12162017

Parks amp Recreation Division Eric Cowing Eastern Supervisor Fayette Historic State Park Harbor Ice suppression installed on dock system Safety Plan Incorporating new amenities general updating Lodge Discovered water line leak Unable to find specific leak to repair so in

process of digging up to replace entire line Thanks to Escanaba amp Newberry major maintenance crews for their invaluable assistance amp expertise

12th Annual Lantern SkiSnowshoeHike held on January 27th A combination of favorable temperatures and social media presence set a new all-time attendance record 175 cars = 613 participants

Muskallonge Lake State Park Completion of Phase II headquarters relocation is 100 complete Staff are

getting settled into the new office building Consultant bids for Phase II of the campground electrical upgrades have been

reviewed and OHM has been recommended for bid award Design and engineering will take place in 2018 with hopes of construction to begin in spring of 2019

All seasonal staff is on furlough until spring The park hosted the Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race on January 6th

62 teams participated Snow conditions were great and the event was very successful

Tahquamenon Falls State Park OHM Advisors have been hired as the consultant for Phase 2 of the Lower

Falls boat concession amp island visitor redevelopment project We are waiting on word from DTMB on the hiring of a consultant for the

Upper Falls water amp sewer study Other funded projects include addressing the Lower Falls road ldquoseeprdquo and

the construction of a new concession building at the Lower Falls The Park Manager position is still vacant Kevin Dennis is continuing to

work out of class in that capacity The park hosted the annual Roadtrekker motorhome winter campout on

Jan 2021 It was another great turnout with 47 registered camps each night Saturday February 3rd will mark the first of four consecutive Saturdays in February where the Park will offer guided

snowshoe hikes a lantern lit ski trail amp a bonfire with refreshments at the Upper Falls Winter camping continues to gain in popularity We have seen 6 to 10 camps most weekends with the exception of

the Roadtrekker weekend Vehicle traffic at the Upper Falls has been steady on the weekends with Recreation Passport compliance being good Snowmobiling seems to be up this year most likely due to lack of snow in other parts of the state

Brimley State ParkDetour HarborLime Island Staff will be meeting with DTMB in the spring on the Lime Island dock project (planning amp design) Detour Village boating access site (BAS) break wall project (planning amp design) will be meeting with DTMB in the

spring Received a proposal for hazardous material removal for Raber property structures waiting for stewardshipSHPO

approval and funding Campgrounds closed for the season Algonquin Ski Trail has been busy with skiers and snowshoers The trail has been groomed 2-3 timesweek

(depending on snowfall) since 121617 The trail has been averaging just over 150 usersweek since grooming started

16 of 17

The supervisor attended the LSSU Parks and Recreation Caucus on 11918 Approximately 20 LSSU Parks amp Recreation alumni attended most of which currently work for Parks Division This yearrsquos topic presentation was Friends Groups Blake Gingrich (Hoeft State Park) Trevor McGinn (Ionia) and Debbie Jones (Sault Ste Marie community foundation) were speakers Everyone was able to meet with current LSSU Parks and Recreation students to talk about careers in the outdoors and do some summer staff recruiting

Newberry Field Office Started construction of vault toilets snow removal at the south station picked excavator up from Iron Mountain for

ice dredges at Indian Lake State Park and Round Lake Luce County Access Site Started digging water line at Fayette State Park

Both rangers have been very busy with snow removal Campgrounds are not plowed for the winter months so no attendance Milikokia State Campground has had good

water samples since the pump jack has been in service The weather has been different this winter as we had rain on the 26th of January all day This made things very

slippery around the whole south station

Indian Lake amp Palms Book State Park Bids for the Laughing Whitefish Falls stairway project were due on January 24th Construction will begin this spring We have a dredge scheduled for the boat ramp at Indian Lake State Park The Big Spring has had a lot of snowmobile traffic this year

Trails Section Unit Report ndash East UP Snowmobile Trail Updates

- North of 28 good snow south gets skimpy close to US-2 - Bear Creek Swamp and Furlong Swamps are not being groomed yet but are open for riding - LP lost snow during the warm up UP is where the snow is - Trail permits are up this year 2009 had more permits for December - 4 fatalities this season on trails

ORV Trail Updates - Working on spring preseason meeting for grant sponsors - MDOT permits are in place for Moran to Detour Route proposal working on other permissions now

EventUse Permits - Sault Ste Marie Guinness Book of World Records for Snowmobile Parade - 26th Annual Long Riders Relic Ride for Charity Manistique

17 of 17

• DISTRICT 2 Law Enforcement Division Bi-Weekly Field Reports
• 1232017 ndash 12162017

The supervisor attended the LSSU Parks and Recreation Caucus on 11918 Approximately 20 LSSU Parks amp Recreation alumni attended most of which currently work for Parks Division This yearrsquos topic presentation was Friends Groups Blake Gingrich (Hoeft State Park) Trevor McGinn (Ionia) and Debbie Jones (Sault Ste Marie community foundation) were speakers Everyone was able to meet with current LSSU Parks and Recreation students to talk about careers in the outdoors and do some summer staff recruiting

Newberry Field Office Started construction of vault toilets snow removal at the south station picked excavator up from Iron Mountain for

ice dredges at Indian Lake State Park and Round Lake Luce County Access Site Started digging water line at Fayette State Park

Both rangers have been very busy with snow removal Campgrounds are not plowed for the winter months so no attendance Milikokia State Campground has had good

water samples since the pump jack has been in service The weather has been different this winter as we had rain on the 26th of January all day This made things very

slippery around the whole south station

Indian Lake amp Palms Book State Park Bids for the Laughing Whitefish Falls stairway project were due on January 24th Construction will begin this spring We have a dredge scheduled for the boat ramp at Indian Lake State Park The Big Spring has had a lot of snowmobile traffic this year

Trails Section Unit Report ndash East UP Snowmobile Trail Updates

- North of 28 good snow south gets skimpy close to US-2 - Bear Creek Swamp and Furlong Swamps are not being groomed yet but are open for riding - LP lost snow during the warm up UP is where the snow is - Trail permits are up this year 2009 had more permits for December - 4 fatalities this season on trails

ORV Trail Updates - Working on spring preseason meeting for grant sponsors - MDOT permits are in place for Moran to Detour Route proposal working on other permissions now

EventUse Permits - Sault Ste Marie Guinness Book of World Records for Snowmobile Parade - 26th Annual Long Riders Relic Ride for Charity Manistique

17 of 17

• DISTRICT 2 Law Enforcement Division Bi-Weekly Field Reports
• 1232017 ndash 12162017