In honor of the 250 men and women who swore under oath to faithfully enforce the laws of Michigan and the rules and regulations of the DNR, and who currently patrol all 83 counties, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed Friday, March 15, as Conservation Officer Appreciation Day.

The proclamation, in part, shares that:

• The State of Michigan considers the protection of its citizens, environment and cultural, historic and natural resources to be among its highest priorities.
• Conservation officers continuously adapt to successfully meet emerging challenges, accept new missions and deliver premier customer service.
• These officers serve with bravery, honor and distinction in locations ranging from urban communities to the deep woods and the Great Lakes.

“DNR conservation officers work hard every day to protect Michigan’s natural resources and the millions of visitors who value them. It is less a job and much more a calling,” said DNR Director Scott Bowen.

These officers serve as front-line protectors, helping to ensure that the next generation can safely, successfully enjoy hunts that put food on the table, camping trips, hikes and other adventures on scenic public lands, and responsible participation in boating, off-road vehicle riding, snowmobiling and other outdoor pursuits.”

In 2023, DNR conservation officers contacted more than 420,000 people through their patrols and outreach, in a job that is anything but predictable. A shift might begin at 3 a.m., gearing up in green with hunter orange and silently leaving home to ensure they are in the woods before the first shots of opening day, or responding to reports of ORV trespassing, illegal hunting from vehicles with loaded and uncased firearms, and hunters or hikers who didn’t return home on time. Sometimes it’s about celebrating an angler’s first catch or rewarding young boaters for properly wearing their life jackets.

“Conservation officers respond where they are needed, when they are needed,” Bowen said.

Michigan conservation officers are fully licensed law enforcement officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety, and protect residents through general law enforcement and conducting lifesaving operations in the communities they serve. Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers.

Great Lakes connecting waters refers to specific bodies of water in Michigan that connect the Great Lakes: the St. Marys River, the St. Clair River (beginning at the Fort Gratiot Light), Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River (beginning at the imaginary line extending due south of the Windmill Point Light, Wayne County, and ending at the imaginary east/west line drawn through the most southernly point of Celeron Island).

An inland sport fishing guide can get a license by completing the following steps:

1. Complete the questionnaire, which will be available March 1. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will review responses to verify license requirements are met. Applicants will be notified via email within five business days. If the requirements are not met, applicants will be notified that additional eligibility steps are needed.
2. Applicants who meet the requirements and receive notification of DNR approval can obtain their license via the DNR’s online licensing program or the DNR Hunt Fish app.

The resident license fee is $150, and a nonresident license fee is $300. The inland sport fishing guide license is valid for three years after the date it is issued. Captains who possess a valid U.S. Coast Guard-issued captain’s license will receive a license fee waiver.

“This is a new statutory requirement for inland fishing guides, and DNR staff has been working to determine the best way to implement it for everyone’s ease of use,” said Brandon Kieft, assistant chief of the DNR Law Enforcement Division. “As with any new regulatory requirement, it will take time to adjust to it. Our main focus during the early stages of this new program is to make sure that everyone who wants to operate as an inland fishing guide is aware of the need for this license.”

License requirements

To be eligible for a sport fishing guide license, an applicant must:

• Possess a valid certification in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation issued by the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association, and be able to provide a copy of the certification to the DNR upon request.
• Possess a valid, lawfully obtained Michigan driver’s license issued under the Michigan vehicle code, an official state personal identification card or a DNR-issued Sportcard.
• Have not been convicted of a felony or other violation listed within MCL 324.48714a(2)(c) in the last three years.
• Be eligible to purchase a license for the fish species targeted while acting as a sport fishing guide.
• Possess a valid state inland pilot’s license issued by the DNR or a valid captain’s license issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, if you intend to operate a watercraft while acting as a sport fishing guide.
• Possess, while acting as a sport fishing guide, a basic first aid kit that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following: tourniquet, chest seals, compression gauze, CPR mask, trauma shears, sterile eyewash, mylar emergency blanket, bandages, moleskin and tweezers.

If you have questions about the DNR inland pilot’s license, contact the DNR Law Enforcement Division representative at your nearest DNR Customer Service Center.

Mandatory reporting

Beginning April 1, 2024, all licensed inland sport fishing guides must file an electronic report of their monthly catch activity for all trips that occurred on all waters except the Great Lakes, Great Lakes connecting waters, and lakes or ponds with a surface area of less than 5 acres. Details about the reporting requirements are available on the inland fishing guides webpage. Guides who have questions regarding submitting monthly catch activity reports or how to obtain an inland sport fishing guide license can contact Kendra Kozlauskos at 231-330-2845 or [email protected].

This new program is in addition to the existing requirements for the Great Lakes charter boat program. Visit the Great Lakes charter boat program webpage for more information.

Safety certificates are proof that you’ve completed a program meant to teach the fundamentals of safety for your chosen activity. Many states require this documentation before allowing you to rent and/or operate a boat or personal watercraft. Misplaced your certificate? No worries; you can request a duplicate.

In Michigan, people born before July 1, 1996, may legally operate a boat without restrictions. Those born on or after July 1, 1996, may legally operate a motorized boat over 6 horsepower only if they have been issued a boating safety certificate and have it in their possession. Anyone born on or after Dec. 31, 1978, must have a boater safety certificate to legally operate a personal watercraft.

If you need a safety certificate, you can take recreational safety education courses online from the comfort of your home and at your own pace. Learn more at Michigan.gov/RecreationalSafety.

Questions? Email [email protected].

Maybe it includes a hammock, blue skies and a soft summer breeze rustling through the leaves of a shade tree. Perhaps you’re reading under a flowering tree in spring, or picking autumn apples right off the branches in your backyard.

We may be biased, but at the DNR we think the best days often involve trees! If you agree, take steps now to set the stage for perfect planting days this spring.

Get started today

The time to order your tree is now. Local conservation districts, nurseries and reputable online retailers are all good places to find the right tree for your space. Whether you’re looking for a tall, fast-growing shade tree or a small, flowering tree to attract bees and butterflies, it’s helpful to learn about the needs of the tree species you want to plant so you can help it grow.

If you want to plant many trees or need layout assistance, a landscaping or nursery professional can help with planning and logistics.

Tree tips and resources

Find how and where to plant a tree, suggestions for what kind of tree to plant and tips to care for your tree at Michigan.gov/MiTrees. You’ll also find a planting map where you can digitally “pin” your new tree and add it to a growing online forest that reflects the landscape. Each tree planted gets Michigan closer to our 1T.org pledge to plant 50 million trees by 2030.

With proper planting and care, your tree will grow strong and healthy. Questions about tree care? Contact DNR urban forester Lawrence Sobson at 313-316-4137.

Workdays will take place:

• 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 2, at Warren Dunes State Park (Berrien County).
• 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, March 3, at Muskegon State Park (Muskegon County).
• 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, March 10, and Sunday, March 24, at Yankee Springs Recreation Area (Barry County).
• 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at Ludington State Park (Mason County).
• 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday March 23, at Fort Custer Recreation Area (Kalamazoo County).

Workday details and registration information can be found on the DNR volunteer events calendar.

These virtual events – great opportunities to meet with DNR fisheries managers and biologists, discuss local issues and management activities, and get specific questions answered – are scheduled for:

• Northern Lake Michigan Management Unit: Tuesday, March 12, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
• Central Lake Michigan Management Unit: Wednesday, March 13, 5 to 7 p.m.
• Lake Superior Management Unit: Thursday, March 14, 6:30 to 8 p.m. EDT.
• Lake Erie Management Unit: Wednesday, April 3, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
• Lake Huron Management Unit: Wednesday, April 3, 6 to 7 p.m.
• Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit: Tuesday, April 9, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Meeting links will be available soon. For more details, see the Conversations and Coffee webpage.

For more opportunities to lend a hand or provide input on all DNR programs, visit Michigan.gov/DNRVolunteers.

Coming up at Mitchell State Park’s Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center in Cadillac, you can learn about maple syrup making and steelhead fishing. The March 9 Maple Syrup Clinic covers tools needed, sap processing, canning, making the final product and more. And in the one-day Steelhead Fishing Seminar March 16 and two-day Steelhead Fishing Clinic March 23-24, the Outdoor Skills Academy pro-staff will present strategies and techniques for chasing Michigan’s “chrome torpedoes.”

Additional sessions of the steelhead classes are scheduled in April, along with turkey hunting, walleye fishing, and whitetail food plot and habitat management clinics. The rest of the year brings opportunities to learn about wild mushrooms, fly fishing, wilderness survival, bear and waterfowl hunting, processing and cooking venison, trapping and more.

See the full, evolving OSA schedule at Michigan.gov/OutdoorSkills.

OAC staff will lead birding programs at Belle Isle Park in Detroit March 10 and at Proud Lake Recreation Area in Oakland County March 24. Join in a fun night of archery and trivia during Grown-Up Gatherings: Archery March 15, or explore this pastime with several other March archery events.

Don’t miss the annual Lumberjack Pancake Run March 23 – wear your finest flannel apparel and sport your best lumberjack beard (prizes awarded to the best dressed!) – and get race swag including a custom medal, a lumberjack buff, Outdoor Adventure Center entry and a pancake breakfast. And check out Lumberjack Day following the run, with special forest-themed programs and activities.

There are also programs especially for seniors, kids, teachers, home-schooled students and others on the March OAC event calendar.