The next meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission ? Thursday, Oct. 12, in Escanaba ? leads off with a Fisheries Committee agenda that includes a discussion on pike regulations in the Upper Peninsula and inland lakes, as well as a look at the status of lake trout populations at offshore reefs in Lake Superior. The Wildlife Committee follows with an overview of the DNR's Grouse Enhancement Management Sites, better known as GEMS.

The meeting also will include presentations of Lifesaving Awards from the DNR's Law Enforcement and Parks and Recreation divisions, updates on white-nose syndrome in bats and the status of wolves in Michigan, a DNR legislative report and several land transactions.

The meeting starts at 9 a.m. in the JHUC 952 Conference Room of?Bay College,?2001 N. Lincoln Road. Before the meeting, at 8 a.m., the public is invited to enjoy Coffee with the Commissioners, an opportunity to speak with commission members in a less formal setting.?

See the draft meeting agenda at Michigan.gov/NRC.?For more information about the meeting, email [email protected].

With approximately 4.6 million acres of public lands to care for on behalf of Michigan residents, the DNR literally has a lot of ground to cover!

The state land review is one way the department stays on top of those resources and makes decisions about?whether to keep, exchange or sell individual parcels. As the ninth round of land review gets underway, the DNR will host?virtual public meetings later this month to share information about the process and gather public feedback about land managers' recommendations.?

This ninth and final round is different from the first eight, which focused on groups of 10 or 11 counties at a time. Group 9 is more of a catchall category that includes parcels ? totaling nearly 4,000 acres ? from 67 different counties that weren't captured in the first eight rounds due to the parcels' small size or the need for additional research to verify the accuracy of location or ownership.

The state land review stems from the 2013 DNR-managed public land strategy and involves review of certain parcels of state land to determine whether they are contributing strongly to the department?s mission. The review process involves DNR-managed lands that are 200 acres or less in size or that, due to an irregular boundary, may be difficult to manage.

Meeting details

• Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m. ? Join Microsoft Teams meeting or call (for audio only) +1 248-509-0316, 282107743#, Conference ID: 282 107 743#
• Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. ? Join Microsoft Teams meeting or call (for audio only) +1 248-509-0316, 662784152#, Conference ID: 662 784 152#

Participate in either meeting by following the given Microsoft Teams link. You don?t have to have Microsoft Teams on your computer or smart device to join, but please note that each link is specific to its meeting date and time; the links will not be live or accessible until each meeting is ?opened? by the moderator. Anyone without access to a computer may call in using the phone number provided.

Questions? Visit the DNR?s land review webpage for more information or contact Kerry Heckman at 517-643-1256.

At its annual conference Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Alpena, the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education handed out honors to several DNR employees and associates:

• Jon Spieles, chief of the DNR Marketing and Outreach Division (shown here).
• Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck, faculty member at Ferris State University.
• Aja Edwards, an educator at the Detroit Zoo.
• Andrea Stay, DNR Forest Resources Division engagement specialist.

Spieles received the Julian Smith Award, Michigan?s highest honor in outdoor education, named for the national pioneer in outdoor education and Michigan State University faculty member. Spieles began his career as a park interpreter at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in 1994 and had been DNR?s field manager for interpretation from 2002 until his recent elevation to marketing and outreach chief.

Under his direction, DNR education efforts in state parks and fish hatcheries have reached more than a million students and campers, and his emphasis on outdoor education has enabled the department to connect more than 25,000 people a year with archery and fishing programs.