Over the decades, there has been intense political crossfire in Michigan on conservation and natural resource issues.

During his unprecedented 15 years as chairman of the Natural Resources Commission (NRC), Keith Charters of Traverse City stepped into the breach to help forge agreements on issues ranging from deer baiting to oil drilling.

He has been a rare bipartisan leader in Lansing -- someone respected and promoted both by Republicans (he was a friend and original appointee of 1991-2002 Governor John Engler) and Democrats (Governor Jennifer Granholm reappointed him as NRC chairman and relied on him for advice).

Republican 1969-82 Governor Bill Milliken says Charters has been a "superb" chairman in troubled times.

As Charters puts it, "We had to do more with less" for parks, enforcement, firefighting, and other priorities of what is now the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE), after Granholm wisely regrouped the environmental functions that Engler had split from the DNR to create the Department of Environmental Quality.

Last week, Granholm appointed Democrat John Matonich of Davidson to replace Republican Charters on the NRC.

Was Charters dumped? No. He says it was at his request. As they had agreed, Granholm, on the same day, appointed him as a citizen member of the Natural Resources Trust Fund Board, where he had served as the NRC member.

Charters says that with Michigan now having potential of an unprecedented level of revenue from oil and gas drilling, the board, which a gets a percentage of revenue, could have "quite a bit of money...a bonanza" to distribute for parkland and other projects.

The Natural Resources Trust Fund Board is responsible for the acquisition of lands for resource protection and public outdoor recreation. It determines which lands and rights in land within the state should be acquired and which public recreation facilities should be developed with money from the trust fund.

Changing of the Guard

Also appointed by Granholm to the Trust Fund Board was Lisa Wozniak of Ypsilanti, executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters (MLCV), to succeed Dennis Muchmore, former chief of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC).

There was a time, when the late, great Tom Washington ran it, the MUCC was the conservation movement's most influential factor in gubernatorial and other elections.

The MLCV, which was co-sponsor of an earlier gubernatorial debate at Central Michigan University, has increasing influence these days in legislative and congressional races, where it publishes scorecards on voting records and responses to questionnaires. It plans this week to report on its assessment of gubernatorial candidates.

Festival of Candidates

Six of the seven candidates for governor were in Traverse City for the National Cherry Festival, where each party traditionally has a breakfast gathering before kickoff of the final parade. Missing, because of a campaign event in Detroit, was Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, who competes with House Speaker Andy Dillon of Redford for the Democratic nomination.

Before coming north, Dillon unveiled a "Renewing the Michigan Dream" plan that he said would "lead Michigan back to prosperity."

One of the candidates, Republican Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, encountered outgoing NRC Chairman Charters along the parade route. I was particularly interested in chatting with Bouchard (via his cell phone) because he is strong on "jealously guarding" the Great Lakes, including no drilling for oil offshore or slant drilling from the shore.

The former legislator correctly says Washington and Lansing authorities "keep twiddling their thumbs" in the battle against invasive species, and vows as governor he would aggressively "create hostile barriers" against them.

Of note: As governor, Bouchard would follow the Engler lead of splitting the environmental functions from the DNRE and re-create a Department of Environmental Quality. Bad idea.

Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder, another Republican vocal on Great Lakes issues, said he'll be announcing some major endorsements this week. He was not specific, but Joe Schwarz of Battle Creek, a former state senator and congressman who contemplated running for governor as an independent, tells me he plans to endorse Snyder.

It's likely that the Michigan League of Conservation Voters also will give Snyder a primary nod, although probably not this week.

For the Republican primary, it's hard to top the endorsements that Attorney General Mike Cox, a leader in the multi-state legal battle to block threatened entry of Asian carp into Lake Michigan, has received from the Michigan Chamber and Michigan Right to Life.

Last week, U.S. Representative Pete Hoekstra (R-Holland) was joined on the trail by ex-Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

State Senator Tom George of Kalamazoo trails all GOP contenders in polls, endorsements, and money, but talks a lot of sense on the trail. In a phone chat as he headed to the festival, he said it is scary how others promise tax cuts "and then more spending."

As for his lag in polls, George said: "I have survived. ...I am still here."

George Weeks retired in 2006 after 22 years as political columnist for The Detroit News. His weekly Michigan Politics column is syndicated by Superior Features.