Commercial game farms have long raised and released domestic ducks for hunters to target. Research shows those ducks are breeding with wild mallards, weakening their genes and possibly threatening their survival.
Rural Michigan
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Few good options for shrinking Michigan’s problem deer herds
Deer are invading Michigan’s suburbs, resulting in car crashes, habitat destruction and disease concerns. But affectedMichigan communities probably can’t sterilize or kill enough deer to reverse the trend.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Spend $500 million on outdoors to boost Michigan for decades
Diverting this money the from state’s $9 billion surplus would amount to an $80 million tax cut every year, because taxes would no longer be needed to fund operations of our state parks and other outdoor spaces.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Extract Michigan’s raw materials to boost our EV future
Batteries and other high-tech materials cannot exist without nickel, copper and rare earths — significant quantities of which are here in Michigan. We have a generational opportunity to take the lead in building clean technologies.
Posted inThe Center for Michigan
Watch Bridge Culture Club discussion of ‘American Salvage’
Author Bonnie Jo Campbell joined Bridge Michigan for a discussion of her short story collection set in rural southwest Michigan.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Cocaine Bear? In Michigan, it's melatonin bear
Michigan wildlife regulators are scrambling to ban hunters from putting melatonin, a sleep aid, in bait piles after allegations that a ‘piss-poor’ hunter was doing just that to make the state’s thriving bear population easier to kill.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Northern Michigan towns embrace marijuana, while many suburbs still opt out
Marijuana access in Michigan remains uneven, as several votes to allow the sale of recreational pot had mixed results in recent months.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Hunters have outsized influence on Michigan wildlife policy
The close relationship between trophy hunting interests and wildlife decision makers leads to policies that do not align with the general public’s values.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Mackinac Island makes the case for expanding U.S. worker visas
The president of an historic hotel on Mackinac Island, which depends heavily on seasonal workers, argues for the permanent expansion of H-2B visas so small businesses like his can meet the demands of customers.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Farmland near Grand Ledge could be Michigan megasite for high-tech project
About 1,400 acres of assembled land, including a farm now owned by MSU, is under contract in tiny Eagle Township. Economic developers pitch the land as ‘America’s best megasite’ for energy-heavy projects like semiconductors or EV batteries.