Public Meeting To Review Inland Consent Decree Wed.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host a public meeting in Sault Ste. Marie Wednesday, October 17, to discuss the recent agreement of hunting, fishing, and gathering rights with five Michigan Indian tribes concerning the Treaty of 1836. The meeting will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Sault Ste. Marie High School Theater at 904 Marquette Avenue.

The meeting is one in a series of nine being held to gather public opinion in October and November.

At the meetings, DNR staff will discuss the agreement and its impact on natural resources. DNR staff also will highlight methods and harvest limits for hunting and fishing contained in the agreement for tribal members, as well as gathering activities on public lands. Time will be allowed for questions from the public.

The area of Michigan impacted by this treaty is roughly the eastern half of the Upper Peninsula and the northwest one-third of the Lower Peninsula.

Members of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians will vote by mail on whether to accept the agreement.

The agreement will be reviewed by the United States Federal Court, Eastern District, in Kalamazoo Monday, October 22.

Other meetings include:

• Traverse City, Thursday, October 18, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Garfield Township Hall, 3843 Veterans Drive.

• Alpena, Wednesday, October 24. The meeting will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Thunder Bay Recreation Center located at 701 Woodward Ave. in Alpena.

• Gaylord, Thursday, October 25, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Northland Sportsmen's Club located at 1542 Alba Road.

A meeting was held in Escanaba October 16.

More information on the Treaty of 1836 and the proposed inland consent decree is available on the DNR's Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr.