Detroit
Is Southeast Michigan the freshwater capital of the world?
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“The Heart of the Lakes” is a new book positioning Southeast Michigan, with its historic water connections and resurgent Detroit waterfront, as the premier freshwater destination.
Catch of the Day
Michigan lawmakers update old adage
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By Eric Freedman
An old philosophical question asks, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” But a more practical question today might be: “If your neighbor’s tree falls on your roof, who is responsible for the damage?”
A new House bill tries to answer that question. It would make the owner of the property where the tree was growing responsible for any damage “caused by any part of the tree falling on the adjacent property, regardless of whether the tree falling was an act of God,” such as heavy winds or lightning. “Currently, if a neighbor’s tree falls in your yard and smashes your fence, you as an innocent homeowner are liable, and this isn’t right,” said Rep. Ryan Berman, R-Commerce Township, the lead sponsor of the proposal. That may mean the innocent neighbor’s homeowner’s insurance policy may cover the damage, but a claim could lead to higher insurance premiums, he said.
Echo
What’s on a mastodon’s menu?
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A recent study looked at the intestinal contents of two mastodons preserved in lake sediments in Michigan and Ohio.
Wildlife
White pelicans extend their Great Lakes range, study finds
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The species “is undergoing a dramatic expansion of its breeding range in North America,” the study published in the journal Ontario Birds said.
Air
Air quality casts pall over Great Lakes national parks
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The National Parks Conservation Association examined air pollution at 417 National Park Service properties and concluded that 96 percent of them “are plagued by significant air pollution problems.”
copper
Copper culture shapes ancient history
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The prehistoric Hopewell civilization of southern Ohio traveled as far as 750 miles to get copper. That was 2,000 years ago.
Catch of the Day
Judge rejects Michigan hunter’s claim of unconstitutional search
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Lawyer plans to appeal.
Homepage Featured
The debate is on: Will wolves move to the Lower Peninsula?
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As the Upper Peninsula reaches its capacity for grey wolves – there are more than 650 now — chances increase that some will migrate south across the ice to the northern Lower Peninsula, which currently has no wolves but plenty of suitable habitat for denning.
isle royale
Don’t poo-poo moose poop
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What are moose poop and pee good for? That’s a science question, and research on Isle Royale and in northeast Minnesota shows moose effectively transfer nitrogen — an essential nutrient for forest health — from the aquatic plants they chow down on to fertilize the forest.
Echo
Isle Royale gets historic designation
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The National Park Service has put Isle Royale – Minong in Ojibwe – on the National Register of Historic Places. The action formally recognizes centuries of historic legacies of the 400-island archipelago in Lake Superior, including copper mining, fishing, hunting, trapping, recreation and a wide range of uses by the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.