Michigan Mixed Bag: Group sues Over wolf recovery plan

Washington, D.C. — The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a notice Dec. 2 of its intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for refusing to develop a national gray wolf recovery plan under the Endangered Species Act. The notice comes two years after CBD won a similar lawsuit.

The Trump administration recently published a finding that protecting the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act is “no longer appropriate” and that the agency would not be preparing an updated recovery plan.

The CBD said recovery plans should describe actions needed to achieve the full recovery of animals and plants protected under the Endangered Species Act.

MORE COVERAGE FROM MICHIGAN OUTDOOR NEWS:

Outdoor Observations: New law a boost for Michigan’s hunter safety program

Mike Schoonveld: Sky high skunk prices predicted for trappers

Tom Pink: No need for an Upper Peninsula Natural Resources Commission

DNR and MassTimber@MSU Bring Mass Timber Construction Exhibit to Detroit

Detroit, Mich. — An exhibition highlighting the potential of mass timber construction is open in downtown Detroit, featuring skyscrapers made of wood and the story behind the growth of the sustainable building technique.

“Tall Timber: The Future of Cities in Wood,” a traveling exhibition created by the Skyscraper Museum, runs through Feb. 28 in Bedrock’s historic building at 719 Griswold St. in Detroit. The exhibit features architectural models and artifacts from quality and safety testing as well as visual, narrative, and video content. It provides a striking introduction to mass timber, including examples of Michigan projects.

Exhibit hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Call (989) 387-8189 for more info.

NRTF Board Recommends Projects Totaling $45 Million to Boost Outdoor Recreation

Lansing — The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board has recommended that the Michigan Legislature approve 60 recreation development projects and 15 land acquisitions totaling $45 million to be funded in 2026.

The board this year considered a total of 100 applications seeking over $56.6 million in funding. In a competitive process, all eligible applications were evaluated based on scoring criteria approved by the Trust Fund board.

This year, the board recommended $19.1 million for development project grants and $25.8 million for acquisition grants.

Inside those amounts, there were 55 development grants totaling $17,704,000 and 10 acquisition grants totaling $10,266,000 recommended to be awarded to local units of government.

In addition, five development projects totaling $1,430,000 and five acquisition purchases totaling $15,600,000 were recommended for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.”

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is a restricted fund that was established in 1976 to provide funding for public acquisition of lands for resource protection and outdoor recreation.