Volunteer to protect Michigan’s spawning sturgeon along Black River this spring
April 7, 2026
Contact: Jim and Mary Paulson (Sturgeon For Tomorrow), 989-763-7568 or Neal Godby (DNR), 231-340-2621
The Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon For Tomorrow is working in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and tribal governments to protect lake sturgeon from illegal harvest during their six-week spawning season. The organization is seeking volunteers in mid-April through early June to stand guard as mature fish head upstream to their spawning sites along the Black River in Cheboygan County.
Sgt. Mike Mshar, who leads the DNR Law Enforcement Division’s efforts on the river, said, “This program, which protects this iconic species when the fish are most vulnerable, is a model of how agencies and the public can cooperate to get needed work accomplished.”
Volunteers are assigned shifts along the river to stand watch and report suspicious activity to the DNR conservation officers patrolling the area. The program also uses aerial surveillance for additional monitoring. Read more





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