A state decision to auction off leases on oil and natural gas rights associated with lakefront parcels in southeast Michigan is being lamented by some Oakland County residents and municipal officials. The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offered state-owned oil and gas lease rights associated with 108,164 acres in 23 counties at an auction held on Tuesday, May 8. It was the first such auction where oil and gas rights associated with state-owned land [...]

With the passage of Public Act (PA) 62 of 2012 into law, boaters will no longer have to worry about being stopped for random safety checks by peace officers throughout Michigan’s inland lakes and the Great Lakes next summer. State Rep. Richard LeBlanc’s (D-Westland) House Bill 5110, the enacting legislation for PA 62, clarifies the conditions under which a peace officer can stop and inspect a vessel. If a watercraft bears a safety check decal [...]

Oakland County Commissioner Jim Nash (D-Farmington Hills) has announced his candidacy for Oakland County water resources commissioner, a job title currently held by Republican John P. McCulloch. “I consider the Water Resources Commissioner’s Office the premier environmental agency in the county and as such I will collaborate with all the communities in Oakland County and across the region to make our water/sewer systems a national leader in sustainability,” Nash said. “Some of our communities now [...]

A bill authorizing indemnities to be made for deaths or injuries caused by wolf, coyote, or cougar predation on livestock or pets has been introduced by state Sen. Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba). According to Kendra Everett, Casperson’s legislative director, he was asked to address the issue by his constituents due to a growing wolf population in his district. Wolves were removed from the federal Endangered Species List at the end of January; however they remain a [...]

The Oakland County Parks and Recreation Department is looking for county residents to review and offer comments on the Waterford Oaks County Park master plan draft that is now available online. “We are proud of Waterford Oaks’ history as a park where innovative recreation concepts are introduced,” Parks and Recreation Executive Officer Dan Stencil said. “With this park master plan draft, we can develop a vision for the future of the park to be shared [...]

A pair of upcoming volunteer stewardship days to remove invasive garlic mustard will be held at the Proud Lake Recreation Area and the Highland Recreation Area. The Friends of Proud Lake will be meeting at the Powers Unit Oak Shelter off of Wixom Road just north of the Huron River on Saturday, May 5 and then working from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call Dee Pasquantonio for more information at 248-624-6054 or 248-961-9538. A volunteer [...]

With the warmer temperatures earlier this spring, the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is advising people to avoid trimming or pruning their oak trees for fear of promoting oak wilt, a fungal disease which kills trees by initially blocking their water conducting vessels. It mainly affects red oak, northern red oak, black oak, and pin oak trees. “It’s a lethal fungus disease that is transmitted to new wounds on oak trees,” said Michigan State [...]

The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has unveiled a new Encroachment Resolution Initiative (ERI) as a way for the department to work with property owners who are trespassing or encroaching on DNR-held public land. The DNR manages more than 4.5 million acres of public land available for recreational purposes, such as hunting, fishing, and camping. There are three state recreation areas in west Oakland County. The Highland Recreation Area in Highland and White Lake [...]

The Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) is looking for volunteers for its annual River Roundup on Saturday, April 21. The event allows volunteers to see a wide variety of aquatic insects, crayfish, and snails that make up the bottom of the Huron River food chain. The presence or absence of these aquatic invertebrates reflects the quality of both the water and habitat of the river. Trained volunteer collectors supervise the hunts at two stream sites. [...]

The state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has released an updated draft of a proposed Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Management Plan and is seeking public comment on the proposal. Over 180 AIS from around the world have made their home in the Great Lakes Basin, ranging from fish to invertebrates, from microscopic organisms to aquatic plants. Some of the more commonly known AIS in Michigan waters include Eurasian watermilfoil; purple loosestrife; round goby; sea lamprey; [...]