The Environment Report

The state Natural Resources Commission is expected to vote this week on whether to authorize a wolf hunt. Steve Carmody went to the U.P,, to talk with people who live near wolves, about the proposed hunt. We bring you a special two-part series on this week’s Environment Report.

State lawmakers put a limit on how much land the state can own. But if the Department of Natural Resources has a plan for how to manage that land.  And if the Legislature likes it… they’ll let the state buy more land.

We’ll tag along with ninth graders from Detroit on a survey of the plant and animal life on Belle Isle.

Spring has taken its time getting here… but people who surf the Great Lakes don’t mind.  We’ll hear why some surfers think this season was one of the best ever on the Lakes.

The people who manage Isle Royale National Park have a big decision to make. There are just eight wolves left on the island… and they didn’t have any pups this year.

For the first time in decades, you’ll be able to fish in a part of the Red Cedar River that has been off-limits. State officials added 3,000 steelhead to the river this week on Michigan State University’s campus. We’ll hear why this part of the river’s been reopened.

Finally… there might be some GOOD news about the Great Lakes.Lake Huron has been turned upside down by invasive species.But now, several kinds of native fish appear to be doing quite well.We’ll hear how scientists are trying to figure out what’s going on.

Michigan wine grape growers had a great year last year. But there’s no guarantee the weather will cooperate every year.  Winemakers are exploring a variety of options to get the best out of their grapes in our region’s climate. 

Top federal regulators visit Michigan’s oldest nuclear power plant. This week Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner William Magwood came to South Haven to tour the Palisades nuclear power plant in nearby Covert Township.

Some people are trying to develop markets for Asian carp.But first… you’ve got to get Americans to eat it.  Chefs in Traverse City take Asian carp for a test drive.

We’re a couple days away from the opening of the main shipping season on the Great Lakes. But record low water levels on Lakes Michigan and Huron have made things challenging for the industry. 

The lumbering boom in Michigan left a lot of waste behind.  After sawmills made planks from logs, they dumped the waste wood in lakes. We'll hear about a partnership between a scientist and an artist, who's found a use for some of that old wood.

It’s been two and a half years since the massive oil spill in the Kalamazoo River.  State officials say drinking water wells in the area are not contaminated by oil-related chemicals.But some residents are not satisfied.  Questions after the spill...

Biodigesters use bacteria to turn waste into methane… and that methane is burned to create electricity. Usually they run on manure. But… at the Fremont biodigester… they’re converting food waste like chocolate covered cherries. Lindsey Smith takes us to the digester.

The state Senate passed a controversial bill this week.  It would stop the Department of Natural Resources from setting aside land specifically for biodiversity.  We’ll hear why some groups say it’ll hamstring the DNR… and others say it’s no big deal.