Changes coming to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission in 2025

Muskegon, Mich. — Changeover is coming to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission this new year, but what that means for fish and wildlife management remains to be seen.

“There will be some new faces on the commission, for sure,” said NRC Chairman Tom Baird.

Both Baird and Commissioner David Cozad were appointed to the seven-member commission by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2021 and both of their terms wrapped up at the end of 2024.

“Dave has applied for reappointment, and I told the governor I’m not seeking reappointment,” Baird said. Cozad declined to comment about his plans when contacted by Michigan Outdoor News.

“Unfortunately, I can’t discuss that topic at this time as decisions have not yet been made,” Cozad wrote in a text message.

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On Dec. 10, Whitmer appointed Highland resident James LaPorte to replace Commissioner Robin Michigizhigookwe Clark, who served on the NRC as the first Anishinaabe woman until her recent resignation over conflicts with her roles at the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

LaPorte’s appointments is still “subject to the advice and consent of the Senate,” according to a statement from the governor.  He’s “president of Luna Entertainment” and “holds a Bachelors of Arts with a concentration in business administration and economics from Augsburg College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas,” according to Whitmer’s office.

“LaPorte is appointed to represent Independents for a term commencing December 10, 2024, and expiring December 31, 2027.”

No more than four of the seven commissioners can be from a single political party. Among current commissioners, Baird, Cozad, and Mark “David” Anthony are appointed to represent Democrats, while LaPorte and David Nyberg represent Independents. Commissioner John Walters represents Republicans, and Commissioner Pete Eardley was appointed without mention of a specific party affiliation.

Baird, of Elk Rapids, has a long history of involvement with a wide variety of outdoor and conservation organizations, from Anglers of the Au Sable, to Trout Unlimited, to Michigan United Conservation Clubs.  Cozad, of Bay City, holds degrees in aquatic biology and heads an environmental consulting firm that specializes in aquatic ecosystem restoration. He’s also an avid bird hunter, angler, and outdoor enthusiast.

Anthony came to the commission recommended by Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, with connections to the Hannahville Indian Community. He previously served as a state representative from Escanaba for six years in the 1990s.

Eardley, of Grand Rapids, operates Oak Heart Lodge, a philanthropic fly-fishing lodge for disabled veterans. He’s a lifelong outdoorsman who “enjoys hunting and fishing while supporting several conservation groups focused on improving waterways while preserving farmland and wilderness,” his NRC biography reads. 

Nyberg is from Gladstone, where he grew up in his family’s fishing lure business. He earned a law degree that he’s leveraged as a legislative affairs manager for MUCC, in work with Trout Unlimited, and as a spokesman for Gov. Rick Snyder. As Snyder’s director of the Governor’s Northern Michigan Office in Marquette and deputy legal counsel, Nyberg worked on state-tribal affairs and natural resources policy.  Walters, of Gaylord, works in the residential building materials industry and is an avid fly fisherman.

“John loves to fly fish all year for trout, which is what invigorated his passionate involvement in conservation,” according to his NRC bio. “He has served as state chairman of Michigan Trout Unlimited and president of the Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited.”

Walters has also served as a board member for Anglers of the Au Sable, Pigeon River Country State Forest Advisory Council and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Rural Development Fund Board.

“My opinion is this NRC we’ve had the last few years was one of the best NRC’s we’ve had,” said Mike Thorman, legislative liaison for hound hunters. “This group was a listening group.”

“We certainly haven’t gotten everything we wanted from them,” Thorman said, “but we’ve had a great relationship with the current NRC.”

For groups like the Michigan Bear Hunters Association, Michigan Hunting Dog Federation and Upper Peninsula Bear Houndsmen that Thorman often represents at the NRC, “it’s a wait-and-see issue,” Thorman said.

“I hope (the new appointments) are actually hunters,” he said. “Over the years we’ve been able to successfully work with the NRC and the department, and we don’t anticipate anything different.

“We always work to protect the resource, and hopefully our relationship with the new NRC members will be similar to the past,” Thorman said.

Baird said he turns 74 in January and his decision not to seek reappointment stems from a desire to spend more time with his wife and family, and to make room for the next generation of conservation leaders.

“If I took another four-year term, then I’ll be 78” at the end, he said. “We have enough 78-year-olds running the country, so we don’t need another one.”

“It’s time for boomers to step aside and let the next generation step up,” Bair said, though he acknowledged that the current system, with daytime meetings that conflict with work and family obligations, “makes it pretty difficult for the younger generation to get involved.”

“I feel pretty strongly it’s time for those middle generations to step up,” he said. “We need new blood.”

“We have an always evolving list of hot topics coming up, among them are deer regulations and deer herd control in the Lower Peninsula,” Baird said. “There’s the continuation of the steelhead piece, a focus on beaver management on trout streams, a request to increase bear quotas in the U.P., and there’s a possibility the question of sandhill crane hunting will be raised again.”