Northwoods Dispatch

Would you have scuttled the ACA over abortion?

Quadrillions of invasive mussels are damaging the Great Lakes, documentary shows Since the late 1990s, the lake whitefish population has declined as much as 80 percent in parts of the Great Lakes. The culprit is a tiny invasive species called the quagga mussel.

We are truly doomed. Quadrillions of invasive mussels are damaging the Great Lakes, documentary shows. #mymichigan www.wpr.org/environment/...

The National Weather Service is THE ONLY source of weather data in the US. Every weather app, local broadcaster, and weather forecast map is based on NWS data from NOAA. This is a ridiculously stupid own goal for the US that will disrupt all kinds of social and economic activity, and endanger lives.

Accurate weather forecasting can be a matter of life and death in northern Michigan.

Last call for CopperDog 150 trail crossing, dog-handling volunteers Trail crossing volunteers are the most needed this year.

The CopperDog 150 is just a few short days away and they are looking for volunteers. Anyone interested? This is up in the Keweenaw Peninsula. www.uppermichiganssource.com/2025/02/25/l...

What to know about meteorological spring, which begins Saturday A temperature roller coaster is expected during the first half of March.

“Meteorological spring” is a cruel joke designed to heighten the vitamin D FOMO of Upper Midwesterners

wapo.st/41bVpPP

And never forget to mention the utter lack of shark infestation in our waters. At least into the sea lampreys show up again…

They’re cutting Medicaid

Scenic photo of a river and mountains, with text: The American Fisheries Society stands strong in its support for the federal workforce. Federal fisheries professionals serve as the stewards of America’s natural resources. But the current termination of federal employees threatens the very foundation of fisheries and aquatic resources stewardship in this country. This stewardship is at risk, and with it the public trust resources citizens have enjoyed for generations. The continued layoffs and other attempts to reduce the workforce will erode the knowledge, skills and experience needed to manage our natural resources. This will have long-term devastating impacts on everyone who relies on public lands and waters for their livelihoods and well-being, as well as devastating an essential professional workforce for years, perhaps decades. The value this workforce brings to conservation, science, and stewarding our public trust resources cannot be overstated—all of which benefits every U.S. citizen. Read our entire statement: fisheries.org.

The American Fisheries Society stands strong in our support of the federal fisheries professionals who serve as the stewards of our aquatic natural resources. Read our new statement on the Future of Public Trust Resources: fisheries.org/2025/02/futu...

Mass firing hits national parks ahead of busy summer season | CNN Visitors to America’s national parks can expect shorter hours and longer lines after the Trump administration fired 1,000 park employees as part of its latest effort to dramatically reduce the federal...

This is just the start of Trump's assault on our national parks www.cnn.com/2025/02/24/u...

The Forest Service owns 1,800,000 acres of land in the Upper Peninsula. They have a huge impact on logging, forest products manufacturing, and tourism - not to mention being an employer.

You will run into these folks and some of them will have voted for Trump. Please extend empathy and a handshake.

These people protected US forests and lands. Their jobs have now vanished due to Trump Former federal employees devastated by president’s mass firings: ‘We’re at risk of losing our public lands to the billionaire agenda’

Trump never has valued US forests, public lands and national parks, beyond viewing them as real estate to exploit.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

NEW podcast!

On the latest Editors Roundtable: how DOGE could impact downballot races and which congressional districts have the highest number of federal workers.

Listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-will-doge-impact-downballot-races/id1765349026?i=1000695549736

One of my biggest pet peeves. You’re just making them less likely to vote the way you want!

YouTube video by The Okee Dokee Brothers Hope Machine - The Okee Dokee Brothers

1. These days you gotta be strong so I do a push up, sing a song

2. Pick on my guitar and stamp on my tambourine

3. And dream good all night long

4. Rise up and sing my song

5. They say life is hard, and they’re not wrong - so keep that Hope Machine running strong.

youtu.be/VkBFg1O3ZxM

A group of Marquette women have been making these for more than 20 years. #upperpeninsula

“Normal” politics is always critical even in times of dire emergency.

www.slowboring.com/p/mailbag-wh...

Not sure, but if you find out, tell me because I was actually hoping to follow 2000 single retired military crypto investor dads.

The budget the Republicans are putting on the floor tonight will cut essential services that millions of American families rely on.

All so they can pay for tax cuts for their billionaire buddies.

I'm going to spend all night fighting back.

DNR explains how they collar moose in recently-launched study update MARQUETTE, Mich. (WBUP/WJMN) — An update has been released on the recently-launched study on the Upper Peninsula moose population.

How do you get a collar on a 1,000 pound, 6'5" beast of an animal? Michigan's DNR knows — and they say it involves darts, helicopters and a brave crew:

Trump firings hit Great Lakes sea lamprey program, Michigan forestry workers | Bridge Michigan Fish and wildlife officials tasked with holding back a species that would otherwise decimate the Great Lakes fishery were among those caught up in a mass purge of federal workers. Dozens, if not hundr...

"Dozens of workers focused on lamprey control were among scores of Michigan federal workers fired without notice in the past week"

'I'd like to ask them why ... it doesn’t seem like they realize who they’re getting rid of, and the impact it’s going to have.'"

via @bridgemi.com

Why aren’t they taking the fired federal workers who are sharing their heartbreaking stories—the ones that Musk says were being paid to do nothing—and making them famous? The cancer researcher on the verge of a breakthrough? The park ranger in Yosemite who won’t be there to conduct rescues and save lives? The air traffic controller who can speak to the connection between understaffing and recent plane crashes? Is it even safe to fly in Trump’s America? The Democrats should be amplifying these folks—writing op-eds about them, refusing to go on camera without sharing their spotlight, pressuring their IG influencers to raise them up—but instead, we learn their stories from Reddit. As Moira Donegan wrote in The Guardian, “Why are the Democrats so spineless?”

I've noted some of the procedural things Democrats could be doing in Congress, but this point from @edgeofsports.bsky.social's great piece in the Nation deserves emphasis.

This is basic politics, and it's baffling that every Democrat isn't doing it every day.

www.thenation.com/article/poli...

I don’t know if I could compromise on on abortion either. But there are a lot of other issues.

Bless you for calling me young. Did you read the piece?

Trump firings hit Great Lakes sea lamprey program, Michigan forestry workers | Bridge Michigan Fish and wildlife officials tasked with holding back a species that would otherwise decimate the Great Lakes fishery were among those caught up in a mass purge of federal workers. Dozens, if not hundr...

Cuts to the lamprey program are a direct hit to the U.P. and northern Michigan.

And this, from a young forester who voted for Trump: “If I had known that this was going to happen, I wouldn't have voted for him.”

www.bridgemi.com/michigan-env...

Wisconsin, our Northwoods sister state, wants to AUDIT HEALTH INSURERS who deny access to care. We love to see it!

As I wrote repeatedly at the time, the Obama formula for inclusiveness was effective and morally right, and abandoning it, as Obama noted, was a mistake nymag.com/intelligence...