A citizen-driven ballot initiative that would give the Department of Natural Resources the final say on wolf hunting is on its way to the state legislature, after the Board of Canvassers certified nearly 300,000 signatures Thursday morning.

The initiative allows the DNR to rule what should or not should be game species, provides funding to combat aquatic invasive species and restores free hunting licenses for active military members.

 Wolf Supporters Tell Lawmakers: Don’t Silence Voters Again

 Within two weeks, state election officials are expected to act on a petition that could allow lawmakers to ignore efforts by voters to weigh in on Michigan’s second managed wolf hunt.

This week, pretty much unnoticed, the deadline came and went for opponents to file challenges to petitions filed by the Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management campaign to initiate a law. This is part of the ongoing political battle over wolf hunting in the Upper Peninsula.

 Almost three decades ago, I spent a summer as a Student Conservation Association ranger at Isle Royale National Park, in the farthest reaches of northern Michigan. I hiked through the beautiful boreal forests of this World Heritage site, drawn there because of the stories I’d read as a child about the relationship between the wolves and the moose on the island. Not for a moment did I ever worry about a wolf attack – in fact, I yearned for a glimpse of these elusive creatures.

The president of the Humane Society of the United States made a stop in Kalamazoo Tuesday to campaign against wolf hunting in Michigan.

The issue has been a hot topic since last year when the state Legislature approved a wolf hunt that was held in the fall. Twenty-three wolves were killed in the state's first-ever managed wolf hunt.