A longtime former Natural Resources Commission member and a retired Department of Natural Resources employee who served the state for 31 years were both honored at the Michigan United Conservation Clubs convention this weekend in Mount Pleasant.

"It is a great honor to have two men with longtime ties to the DNR honored by the MUCC," said DNR Director Rebecca Humphries. "Both have left a lasting legacy to conservation in our state, and each of them being recognized is a testament to their dedication to Michigan's natural resources."

The late Harry H. Whiteley of Rogers City served on the NRC from 1927 to 1947. Whiteley was inducted into the MUCC Conservation Hall of Fame at the convention. Arthur Whiteley of Seattle, Washington, was on hand to receive the honor for the Whiteley family.

In 1927, after service as both a state representative and state senator, Whiteley was named to the newly formed Michigan Conservation Commission, a forerunner to what is now the Michigan Natural Resources Commission. As a member and eventual chair of the commission, Whiteley served under nine different governors, and was known for being a strong advocate of taking conservation out of politics.

Among Whiteley's accomplishments was leading the rehabilitation of the millions of acres of tax reverted, cut-over timber land and protecting the interest of the Michigan people when oil was discovered on those lands. He helped foster the state park system and was instrumental in establishment of two parks - the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and Warren Dunes State Park.

Whiteley was known as an advocate for land use during his time on the commission. He also was an early leader on the development of the state's petroleum resources, helping create a regulatory program at the time that became a model for many other states.

His nephew Harry Whiteley, who also was at the MUCC Awards luncheon, continued the family tradition and also served on the NRC from 1961 to 1985.

Frank Opolka, a DNR retiree who served the state for 31 years, was named Conservationist of the Year by MUCC. Opolka served as the Upper Peninsula regional director for the DNR from 1985 to 1995. He joined the DNR in 1964 as a conservation officer, working his way up to chief of the DNR Law Enforcement Division in 1979, a position in which he served until being appointed the UP regional director.

After serving in the U.S. Marines and graduating from Northern Michigan University with a bachelor's degree in biology, Opolka taught high school for a couple of years before joining the DNR.

Known as a leader who always showed respect to his colleagues and the public, Opolka also was known for making himself available to anyone who wanted to give input on natural resources management. He regularly attended the county commission meetings in all 15 counties in the UP, regularly bringing them up to date on what the DNR was working on in their respective counties and addressing issues of local interest.

In his retirement, Opolka continued to be an advocate for natural resources by serving six years on the Michigan Waterways Commission, and was its chairman in 2004.

Opolka is an active member of UP Whitetails in Dickinson County, enjoying his retirement by hunting, fishing, four-wheeling and spending time at his camp.