Michael B Hardy

It’s taken 50 years. The State of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources features a published strategy and policymaking that has effectively curtailed commercial fishing in Michigan to the brink of extinction. A trio of bills now into account within the Michigan legislature could, if passed, be the ultimate act that would eliminate the 13 remaining family-owned commercial fishing businesses within the state. the opposite fallout of this trio of bills could effectively eliminate the power of fish-loving consumers in Michigan to get locally harvested fish. A set of bills now into account in Michigan’s legislature House Bills 4567, 4568, and 4569 would increase fines, impose new reporting requirements, hike license fees, and extend bans on commercial fishermen from taking specific species of fish in Michigan waters. The set of bills was intended to update government regulation that stretches as far back because of the 1920s. Our analysis of the effect of them passing could devastate this small group of Michigan family companies. The key provisions of House Bills 4567, 4568, and 4569 are as follows: Ban commercial fishermen from taking Perch in Saginaw Bay. Commercial fishermen are already banned from harvesting walleye and lake trout. The walleye ban continues whilst Saginaw Bay is seeing record total harvest numbers walleye taken by sports fishermen. The perch ban on Saginaw Bay would impact five commercial fishing operations, including Bay Port Fish Company. These fishermen have had a license to reap Perca flavescens since 1968. they provide restaurants and offer perch to consumers at their own retail stores and at the Port Austin Farmers and Detroit’s Eastern Markets. The proposed bills wouldn't reimburse the five fishermen for the loss of the licenses. Native American tribes who currently harvest walleye and perch aren't suffering from the bills. The bills impose strict new fines and even jail time for commercial fishermen who abandon their nets and kit. Folks are scratching their heads over this provision. Each net is tagged with the owner’s name and nets cost over $10,000 apiece to exchange. It’s highly unlikely that such an important, and expensive tool utilized to reap fish would be purposely abandoned. [ Read more about the Planned Demise of the 13 Remaining Commercial Fishing Operations in Michigan]

The blogosphere and news sites are bristling that former President of the United States, Barack Obama allowed water from the good Lakes region to be pumped and sold to China. it is a Lie. What’s worse is that none of those blog authors are checking the facts. Their lazy practice is to re-blog poorly written posts from inflammatory sites. Here is the truth about Great Lakes Water Use. Great Lakes FAQ How much water is in the Great Lakes? All the Great Lakes constitute the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth holding about 5,472 square miles of water. That about 6,000,000,000,000,000 gallons, enough to cover the entire lower 48 of the United States with over nine feet of water. How many people get their water from the Great Lakes? More than 48 million people from the US and Canada depend on the Great Lakes as their source of water.

An alternative news service has emerged in the Upper Thumb of Michigan. The wind energy and Michigan Thumb tourist site ThumbWind has launched a new series of podcasts. The End of the Road in Michigan offers listeners a new tale each week delving into the fascinating past of Michigan and the Upper Thumb region. We take you on a 300 year trip through time from the first Indian villages in Saginaw and Sebewaing including the famous summer village of Shebahyonkon on wild fowl bay to the days when settlers traveled up the Saginaw Trail to establish long gone lumbering towns such as Port Crescent and New River. We cover the vanished religious colonies of Ora Labora, and New Palestine. Then the great fires of 1871 and 1881 which ushered in the agricultural era that is with us today in the Thumb. The End of the Road News is another short podcast that is updated each Wednesday. The midweek update and weekend outlook gives you the headlines and stories for the Upper Thumb and Michigan. It concludes with a great weather forecast for your weekend in the Thumb. Finally, there is a special podcast that tells the tale of 26-year-old Alexis de Tocqueville and his friend Gustave de Beaumont, took the ultimate road trip. The pair of French aristocrat’s journey from Buffalo New York to the Straights of Detroit with the intent of going to the last overland outpost of civilization; Saginaw. Set in 1881, which predates Michigan’s statehood, the lumber industry, and homestead settlement. The story weaves a tale of what early Northwest territory life was like in the early 1800s. We travel with them along with the famous Saginaw trail meeting unique individuals hacking their way into virgin forests and meeting its native inhabitants. It's also a commentary of the environment and how supposedly civilized society will forever impact nature. This takes place 180 years before today's concept of climate change. It's a fascinating short story that is an excerpt from the book A Fortnight in the Wilderness and is now freely available for the first time anywhere as a podcast.

In 1881, over a series of several days, a devastating fire overtook the Thumb. Here is a synopsis of the days of that horrific event and its aftermath. Great Michigan Thumb Fires of 1881. The summer of 1871 was dreadfully hot and dry in Michigan’s Thumb. Farmers watched their crops wither in the dry heat. In the fall, relief from the drought was no better. Folks began to worry that there were to be some lean winter months ahead. The heat and the lack of rain did not only affect eastern Michigan. The conditions stretched west into Wisconsin and northern Illinois. The whole region was a tinderbox for the great fire of 1871. 1871 Great Fire – The Burning Great Lakes The Great Michigan Fire of 1881 devastated one town above all others. Parisville Michigan was Founded by Polish immigrants escaping the oppression of the Prussian Empire, this community claims to be the first Polish settlement in North America. 1881 Fire: The Devastation of Parisville Michigan

Starting in 1919 automobile pioneer, Henry Ford ordered an exploration of sites that could be set up for small factories thought Southeast Michigan. This was called Henry Ford's Village Industry Experiment. Many of the plant sites were former locations of grist and sawmills from Michigan’s earliest settlements. The goal of having a locally generated power from water turbines was a primary concern of being self-sufficient. Several other locations had small scale plants built and architected by legendary architect Albert Kahn. Ford's reputation as a large-scale industrialist and creator of the modern assembly line is well known. T the contradiction of creating this dispersed small-scale system has puzzled many historians. One hypothesis is that Ford wanted to support the rural communities that many were fleeing to work in the auto plants. Another theory was to dilute the effectiveness of organized labor attempting to unionize this far-flung location. Some plants had as few as a dozen workers. The full story of the 19 village industries was acquired by Henry Ford. All the plants converted to wartime production during World War II.

These live Michigan Thumb webcams are strategically located in various spots along the shore and within the Thumb region. It's a great place to check out the weather and lake conditions from the comfort of your home or even at work. If the webcam is live, you will see a preview image. Webcam sites include Caseville, Port Austin, Sebewaing, Sand Point, Harbor Beach, Unionville, Twas and Port Huron. Michigan Thumb Webcam Related Reading If you’re interested in knowing more about some of these locations we have some great overviews and highlights. Check out Six Fascinating Place to See in Harbor Beach. The largest freshwater harbor in the United States. Up at the tip of the Thumb near Port Austin is a series of Bart Art projects. You really must see the Home of Emergency Ark where a 1800s barn has been transformed into the ark on the land. The Thumb region has its share of history. During the lumbering era, shipbuilding took place up and down Saginaw Bay. One of the biggest was Sebewaing Harbor. Our post on Sebewaing History – A Busy Harbor takes you back to the when sailing ships dominated the Great Lakes. Lastly, we tell the story of one Upper Thumb town that refused to die. Huron City was burned down to the ground, twice! Once in 1871 and again in 1881. It was rebuilt both times. It has an interesting story and many of the buildings can be visited today in this living museum. See The Faded Glory of Huron City