April 07, 2017 CNS Budget

April 7, 2017
To: CNS Editors
From: Perry Parks and Sheila Schimpf
http://news.jrn.msu.edu/capitalnewsservice/
For technical problems, contact CNS technical manager Pechulano Ali, (517) 940-2313, pechulan@msu.edu.
For other issues contact Perry Parks, perryrobertparks@gmail.com, (517) 388-8627.
Here is your file:
PUBLICLANDS: DNR has been having conversations on public land ownership, especially with the counties that have a large amount of public-owned lands. We interviewed county leaders who expressed their concerns that high percentages of state lands can be a burden on their tax revenue, and revenue brought by tourism and recreation activity are not enough to offset the loss. The Legislature and the DNR are working on a bill and managed lands strategy to try to give more voice to these affected counties. We also  talk to Cheboygan and Crawford county officials, an Escanaba senator and the Townships Association  By Chao Yan. FOR CHEBOYGAN, CRAWFORD COUNTY, TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, MANISTEE, HOLLAND, MARQUETTE, PETOSKEY, SAULT STE. MARIE, CADILLAC, GLADWIN, LUDINGTON, ALCONA, BAY MILLS, MONTMORENCY, ST. IGNACE & ALL POINTS.
FISHWHILEPREGNANT: Health professionals still want pregnant women to eat fish in safe amounts, despite local fish advisories throughout the state, because of nutrients that are important to fetal brain development. But some water bodies, like the Kalamazoo River, are contaminated with toxins that make fish unsafe to eat. Department of Health and Human Services Eat Safe Fish guidelines are available to determine which fish are safe to eat and which are not. We talk to a DHHS official DNR director and co-owner of a local fish distribution company. With references to Allegan, Lenawee, Alcona, Cheboygan, Gladwin, Crawford, Grand Traverse, Marquette, Osceola, Lake and Manistee counties By Caitlin Taylor. FOR THREE RIVERS, HOLLAND, STURGIS, BLISSFIELD, MARQUETTE, ALCONA, CHEBOYGAN, CRAWFORD, GLADWIN, MONTMORENCY, TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, LAKE COUNTY, MANISTEE, LUDINGTON, HERALD STAR & ALL POINTS.
DISTRACTEDDRIVERS: Michigan drivers have more incentive to keep their eyes on the road now than ever, as more eyes will be watching them throughout the month. More than 170 law enforcement agencies are out in force to cut down on the frequency of distracted driving incidents, the  Office of Highway Safety Planning said. Meanwhile, a new House bill proposes harsher penalties for distracted driving and changes to what qualifies as distracted driving. We speak with Marquette Police, the State Police, the bill’s sponsor and state safety advocates from Petoskey and Lansing. By Isaac Constans. FOR MARQUETTE, LANSING CITY PULSE, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS & ALL POINTS
DNRSUMMERYOUTH: Michigan has plenty of publically owned land, and the Department of Natural Resources is using its summer youth program to expose urban youth to parks and other recreational outdoor activities. The DNR is hoping to use the program to provide young people with an alternative activity to get involved in, the DNR director said. We also hear about the Saginaw Bay Visitor’s Center summer youth program and a trip to Wilderness State Park. By Laura Bohannon. FOR GRAND RAPIDS, GLADWIN, TRAVERSE CITY, CHEBOYGAN, ST. IGNACE & ALL POINTS.
Three-story invasive species package:
CARPCONTEST: The state has gotten an enthusiastic response to Gov. Rick Snyder’s challenge for the international community to come up with a creative way of keeping invasive carp from slipping into the Great Lakes from the Chicago area. Department of Natural Resources Director Keith Creagh says some 3,000 people have expressed interest in participating in Michigan’s “carp challenge,” with prize money of about half a million dollars. The invasive carp species are a major threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem, officials say. We talk with Creagh, Snyder and other DNR officials. By Laina Stebbins. FOR LUDINGTON, MANISTEE, HOLLAND, TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS, CHEBOYGAN & ALL POINTS.
Can package with…
BALLASTWATER: Researchers at Michigan State University say their new study based on testing in Lake Superior shows ballast water can harbor invasive viruses that might threaten the Great Lakes. By Liam Tiernan. FOR MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, BAY MILLS, LEELANAU, TRAVERSE CITY, LUDINGTON, OCEANA, MANISTEE, HOLLAND, CHEBOYGAN, ST. IGNACE, ALCONA, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS & ALL POINTS
Can package with…
CISCO: The once-abundant cisco is making a comeback in much of the Great Lakes, including Little Traverse Bay and Ludington on Lake Michigan and in Lake Huron – thanks in part to help from the invasive quagga mussel, with higher catch rates for recreational and commercial fisheries. They are still doing well in Lake Superior. We talk to experts from the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians’ Great Lakes fisheries program, Nature Conservancy in Michigan and Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor. By Steven Maier. FOR TRAVERSE CITY, LEELANAU, PETOSKEY, BAY MILLS, MARQUETTE, OCEANA, LUDINGTON, MANISTEE, HOLLAND, CHEBOYGAN, SAULT STE. MARIE, ALCONA, ST. IGNACE & ALL POINTS
        w/CISCOPHOTO: Cisco caught in Lake Michigan: Credit, Katie Steiger-Meiser, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
STREETCARS: Detroit once was home to the world’s largest municipally owned streetcar enterprise, an industry with a history stretching from the city’s early founding through the 1950s. A new book, “The Thirty-Year War: The History of Detroit Streetcars, 1892-1922” by Neil Lehto, provides an in-depth look at the origins and development of that public transportation system and its relevance to modern municipal franchises such as cable service. By Ian Wendrow. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS & ALL POINTS.
        w/STREETCARSCOVER: Credit: Michigan State University Press.
SCANDALS: The FBI-State Police search of a Democratic state senator’s office and home serves as a reminder that illegal conduct, corruption and scandal don’t carry party labels. Evidence in Michigan and elsewhere demonstrates that some politicians — regardless of party — don’t respect the law, the public or the oath they swore. Recent cases on point include Democrats Virgil Smith, Brian Banks and Diane Hathaway and Republicans Todd Courser, Cindy Gamrat and Brian Palmer. But political scientists say many voters apparently don’t care. Commentary. For news and opinion pages. By Eric Freedman. FOR LANSING CITY LIMITS & ALL POINTS.