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Top News

State Park Camping Reservations Make all of your campground and harbor reservations any time of the day. You can reserve your site up to 6 months in advance of the date you'd like to camp. Come out and enjoy the outdoors by reserving a destination everyone can enjoy.

Duck Lake Fire, Luce County, May 25, 2012

DNR Urges Caution as Wildfire Season Returns to Michigan One out of three wildfires in Michigan is caused by someone burning debris who didn't take the proper precautions or get a burn permit. Fire safety is everyone's responsibility, so please be safe and smart when it comes to fires. Get fire-prevention tips and guidelines, obtain a burn permit and more at www.michigan.gov/preventwildfires.

DNR helps you find places to fish with Family Friendly Fishing Waters Are you looking for a great place to go fishing that is easy to access, has a high likelihood of catching fish, has various amenities, and is all around family-friendly? Then the Family Friendly Fishing Waters project can help! Just click through to find a map that highlights family-friendly fishing locations throughout the state of Michigan.

Living with Bears It's that time of year when we tend to see more bears, as they wake up from their winter hibernation. Black bears are generally fearful of humans, but they are attracted to food sources like bird feeders, trash cans, pet food and grills. To learn more about black bears, including how to prevent bear problems at your home or while camping and what to do in case of a bear encounter, visit www.michigan.gov/bear.

From left to right: Chief Gary Hagler, CO Jeff Ginn, CO Troy VanGelderen, CO Richard Nickols, CO Jason Wicklund, Assistant Chief Dean Molnar

Conservation officers honored for life-saving efforts The DNR regularly honors those within its ranks who have reacted to emergency situations that might have otherwise had fatal consequences with the agency's "Lifesaving Award." Recently, four officers were honored at a Natural Resources Commission meeting, and the circumstances of their actions illustrate how broad the DNR conservation officers' experience really is.

Thinking of becoming a Conservation Officer? Play a key role in conservation and public safety by enforcing natural resource, recreational safety, and environmental protection laws. It's a demanding, sometimes dangerous but extremely rewarding career. Find out about duties, training, field assignments, education requirements, and the employment process on our webpage www.michigan.gov/conservationofficers.

Michigan morel mushrooms, photo taken by Randy McKenzie, Fire Management Specialist, DNR

Conservation and safety tips for Michigan morel hunters Best practices for harvesting mushrooms, suggestions for seeking out hunting spots and a guide on how to recognize poisonous mushrooms. www.michigan.gov/mushroomhunting

The Proud Robin declaring "It's Great to Live in Michigan" is perched atop the Mackinac Straits Bridge.

Michiganology Store Looking for unique one-of-a-kind Michigan documents, photographs and maps? If so you've found the right place Browse our collection and bring home your own piece of Michigan's history.

Learn about the restructuring of hunting/fishing licenses

The 2013-14 Executive Budget for the DNR includes a proposal to raise the cost of hunting and fishing license fees as part of a plan to improve the state's fish and game habitat and hire additional conservation officers. License fees have not increased since 1997. Learn how this additional investment will aid the DNR in delivering better outdoor recreation experiences to Michigan residents and visitors.

Press Releases

• DNR celebrates National Trails Day on June 1 with events at state parks In celebration of National Trails Day on Saturday, June 1, Michigan state parks are offering a variety of events on the trails. Enjoy a guided hike, take a bike ride along the trail or help clean up the trails at one of these events, which showcase the beauty of Michigan's extensive trails system.

• Learn the art of sand sculpting at state parks in southwest Michigan this summer Professional sand artist Janet Schrader, also known as "the Sand Pirate," will be touring the state parks in southwest Michigan this summer to teach park guests how to make fantastic sand castles, complete with windows, doors, towers and stairs.

• DNR confirms another dog kill in Atlantic Mine area A Department of Natural Resources wildlife technician has confirmed that a third dog has been killed today by a wolf in the Atlantic Mine area (Houghton County), in the same location where another dog was killed last week. The dog in this morning's attack was chained up in a fenced yard at the time of the attack.