The Michigan Natural Resources Commission will meet on Thursday, Dec. 3, at the Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, located at 4125 Beaumont Rd. in Lansing.

Prior to the Committee of the Whole meeting, there will be three policy committee meetings. At 9:15 a.m., the NRC Policy Committee on Parks and Recreation will meet to receive several updates and reports. The committee will review the accomplishments of outreach programs in state parks and recreation areas, camping programs, revenue generation through concessions and activities, inter-divisional programming, 90th anniversary events, and the State Park Passport legislation.

At 11 a.m., the Policy Committee on Finance and Administration will meet to review the Fiscal Year 2009 year-end closing of restricted funds, including a review of the fund balances. The committee also will receive a presentation on comparing Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations to available restricted funds.

At 1 p.m., the Police Committee on Wildlife and Fisheries will consider several fisheries regulation changes, review proposed changes in resident goose regulations, regulations for tracking legally shot game, hunting success notifications and technical amendments to turkey licenses, receive an update on the NRC's authority to regulate supplemental feeding of white-tailed deer, review preliminary firearm deer season results, a Michigan State University public opinion poll on deer, review the Quality Deer Management process and set the 2010 issues calendar for future committee meetings.

The Committee of the Whole will convene at 3 p.m. to review action items before DNR Director Rebecca Humphries; to receive a state legislative update and a Washington, D.C. update; to receive an update on Chronic Wasting Disease research; to honor the 2009 Hunter Education Volunteer Instructor of the Year, and receive an update from Bruce Rasher, transition manager for the DNR/DEQ merger.

Public comment before the NRC will begin at 4:30 p.m. Persons wishing to address the commission should contact Teresa Gloden, assistant to the NRC, at (517) 373-2352 or glodent@michigan.gov. Persons also may contact Gloden at the meeting location to sign up to speak before the commission.

At 5 p.m., the NRC and Director Humphries will present the Trapper Education Consultation Team with a Partner in Conservation Award.

Among the items for the NRC to consider at this meeting will be including the New Zealand mud snail on the state's invasive species list and the authority to regulate the supplemental feeding of deer.

Director Humphries will have several action items to consider at the meeting including proposed changes to several fisheries orders, the results of an oil and gas lease auction that occurred on Oct. 27, a nonmetallic mineral (potash) sealed bid auction on 88,500 acres offered on Aug. 28, and abolishment of the Off-Road Vehicle Trails Advisory Board. Humphries also will consider authorizing several land transactions.

For more information about the NRC, the meeting agenda and informational materials, go online to www.michigan.gov/nrc.