The Upper Peninsula Habitat Work Group (UPHWG) will meet Saturday June 10, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sault Ste. Marie Country Club at 1420 Riverside Drive in Sault Ste. Marie. The group is a subcommittee of the Michigan Natural Resource Commission (NRC) Policy Committee on Wildlife and Fisheries. NRC Commissioner John Madigan chairs the UPHWG meeting, which is open to the public.

"It's an excellent opportunity for the public to participate in the process and interact with the Department of Natural Resources decision markers and local staff," said Mr. Madigan.

The UPHWG is a collaborative forum for the discussion of Upper Peninsula wildlife habitat issues and dissemination of information.

The group meets with wildlife and forest management professionals to discuss strategies for sustainable wildlife habitat management in the U.P. To date, much of the focus has been protection of critical winter deer range, including the acquisition by the state of U.P. deer yards encompassing several thousand acres.

At the conclusion of the formal meeting agenda there will be an opportunity for the public interaction as time permits.

Most of the meeting agenda will deal with specific deer-related habitat issues. For more information about the meeting, contact DNR Deer Range Improvement program coordinator Bill Scullon at (906) 786-2351, extension 116.