Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/tag/capital-news-service/page/24/)
Michigan farmers who purchased drought-resistant corn last year don’t feel they’ve wasted their money on the more expensive hybrid. Many farmers agree that recent wet weather doesn’t mean there won’t be a drought later this summer.
Sand traps were constructed worldwide to save fish from excessive sand in freshwater streams. But Michigan Department of Natural Resources reserchers doubt their benefit.
Some sand traps could even harm river ecosystems, experts say.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said its $9 million program is stocking 19 million fish — 370 tons — including eight trout and salmon species and four cool-water species, including walleye and muskellunge.
The ethanol industry is looking to recover from its first national decline in 15 years, due in part to drought-damaged corn crops in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.
In Michigan, dogs may be allowed to accompany their owners in outdoor dining areas if a bill introduced by Rep. Margaret O’Brien, R-Portage, passes.
Removing sand from the Salmon Trout River in Marquette County has helped protect the spawning sites of coaster brook trout, according to researchers.
The number of Michigan’s bicyclist deaths dropped 17 percent between 2011 and last year.
Meanwhile, cycling groups continue to advocate more safety measures.
An increasing number of workers from Eastern Europe are finding jobs in the farm industry in Michigan, but the increase isn’t enough to allay concerns of labor shortage.
That’s disconcerting for environmentalists, who call the limit arbitrary and worry it will render the state unable to cope with rising demand for public land.
Detroit was listed in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2012 top 25 cities with the most ENERGY STAR rated buildings. It ranked 19th with 100 ENERGY STAR buildings.