Officials from the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are encouraging deer hunters with a valid hunting license to shoot feral swine (free-ranging pigs) in 50 Michigan counties...

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement officials today announced additional conservation officers are being reassigned to patrol the seven-county TB surveillance area in the northeast Lower Peninsula during the 2007 firearm deer season...

An active wildfire season that saw more than 20,000 acres burn in Michigan is now winding down, said Department of Natural Resources officials. The DNR logged 395 wildland fires this season that burned 20,881 acres -- including the largest wildfire in Michigan since 1980, the Sleeper Lake Fire in Luce County in the Upper Peninsula...

Ludington State Park is hosting a series of snowshoe-making workshops this fall and winter at the park's warming shelter. Weekend workshops will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 18 (Sunday), Dec. 1 (Saturday), Dec. 2 (Sunday) and Dec. 16 (Sunday)...

State-owned land in 12 counties in southern and western Michigan will be offered for sale as a result of the Department of Natural Resources' review of all state-owned property in each county. Counties with parcels offered for sale by auction include Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass Hillsdale, Kalamazoo, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, St. Joseph, Van Buren and Wexford...

Strong winds have again hampered fishing efforts on both the Great Lakes and inland lakes. The steelhead runs seem to be off to a slow start this year. Much needed rain will help push more fish into the river systems...

Michigan communities and utilities interested in being designated as a Tree City or Tree Line USA must submit their application materials by Dec. 31, according to Department of Natural Resources forestry officials...

Recent wind events that occurred throughout northern Michigan have created dangerous conditions at several pathways, snowmobile and ORV trails, and forest roads maintained...

Now that the weather has finally cooled down, fall fishing in the river systems should pick up. Mature salmon have been caught out deep, and those fish should move in closer to shore. Color in the Northern Lower Peninsula is about 40 to 50 percent. This would be a good weekend to combine that fall fishing trip with a color tour...

The Department of Natural Resources will host three public meetings this week to discuss the recent agreement of hunting, fishing and gathering rights with five Michigan Indian tribes over the Treaty of 1836. The meetings scheduled include: