A new ordinance in Brooks Township includes a host of hard-to-meet permit conditions for any new cemetery. ‘Green burial’ proponents say they’re being unfairly targeted. Local leaders say they’re merely protecting groundwater.
Michigan Environment Watch
Michigan Environment Watch examines how public policy, industry, and other factors interact with the state’s trove of natural resources.
Great Lakes News Collaborative
Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television, The Narwhal and Michigan Public work together to report on the most pressing threats to the Great Lakes region’s water. This independent journalism is supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. You can find all of the collaborative’s stories here.
Shockwave
The Great Lakes region is in the midst of a seismic energy shakeup, from skyrocketing data center demand and a nuclear energy boom, to expanding renewables and electrification. In 2026, the Great Lakes News Collaborative will explore how shifting supply and demand affect the region and its waters. Read the series here.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Trump firings hit Great Lakes sea lamprey program, Michigan forestry workers
Fish and wildlife officials tasked with holding back a species that would otherwise decimate the Great Lakes fishery were among those caught up in a mass purge of federal workers. Dozens, if not hundreds, of workers in other agencies were also fired without notice.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Army Corps eyes Line 5 tunnel for ‘emergency’ designation; foes sound alarms
The agency added Line 5 to a list of projects for potential emergency designation, following President Donald Trump’s orders.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Get ready for a rare treat, Michigan: 7 planets appearing in a sky near you
Mercury will briefly join six other worlds in the planet ‘parade’ that began last month.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan museum explores intriguing history of Great Lakes Yemeni sailors
Waves of Yemeni immigrants settled in Michigan to work in the Great Lakes shipping industry.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Why not put Michigan solar farms on parking lots instead of farmland?
Amid bitter battles over putting renewable energy on undeveloped land, some see parking lots as an appealing alternative. But be prepared for costs to double.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
State enlists public to search for wolves in northern lower Michigan
While there is no evidence of an established population below the Mackinac Bridge, state biologists say there is some suitable habitat in the peninsula’s far northern reaches.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Avian flu has killed over 300 geese, other wild birds in Michigan, state says
State officials say the highly contagious avian flu is now widespread in Michigan’s wild bird populations. The virus has also swept through commercial and backyard flocks and migrated to livestock and humans.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Snow is making a big comeback in Michigan this year, with more to come
La Niña is causing heavier and more frequent snowfall across the North, leading to colder and stormier conditions.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Trump tries to block EV charger money — again. Michigan impact ‘clear as mud’
Michigan has spent $2.2 million out of $110 million it was promised for EV chargers under a program the Trump administration is now attempting to prevent more spending through.