The purpose of the O.B. Eustis Award is to recognize environmental protection or improvement efforts in Northeast Michigan.

Through an annual $1500 grant from the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, awards are given to winners from Northeast Michigan. They are able to designate their portion of the grant (at least $500) to an environmental project in Northeast Michigan.

The award was named for the late O.B. Eustis, whose career in northern Michigan was exemplary in balancing economic and environmental issues. Huron Pines has been a partner in the O.B. Eustis Awards since 1995.

Nominate an individual, organization or company by filling out the Nomination Form. Nominations are due by December 31st. The award winners are recognized at the Huron Pines Annual Meeting in February.

For more information, contact Jill Scarzo.

The nominees need to be from the eleven-county Northeast Michigan region, namely Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, and Roscommon counties. Nominations are judged by a committee of representatives from the region, including representatives from the Eustis family.

Past winners

One of the most recent recipients of the O.B. Eustis Award is Brenda Archambo, recognized for her dedication to the protection of one of Michigan’s rarest of resources, its lake sturgeon. Founder of the Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon For Tomorrow, she has pulled together legions of volunteers to participate in guarding the sturgeon spawning areas from poaching each spring. She has engaged the support of Central Michigan University, Michigan State University and the Michigan DNR for research and the sturgeon hatchery on Black Lake. In 2009, Brenda and the Sturgeon For Tomorrow crew worked with Huron Pines to stabilize an eroding streambank on the Lower Black at a long-used access point that was depositing huge amounts of sediment into the river. Her award was used to support Sturgeon For Tomorrow’s protection efforts.
 
Another recent award winner is the Pine River-Van Etten Lake Watershed Coalition (pictured above) for their active leadership in conducting water quality monitoring, volunteer participation on projects, conducting outreach and education activities, and ensuring that the major tasks in their watershed management plan are accomplished. Their efforts contributed to the development of a project proposal to improve water quality by fixing seven priority road/stream crossings, a proposal that eventually led to $1 million in federal funding from the US Forest Service.

In 2009, Jim Supina, recognized for his many years of dedication to conservation and protecting and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, demonstrated through his service to conservation and wildlife organizations, promoting respect for natural resources, and encouraging land stewardship throughout the community. His award was used to support HeadWaters Land Conservancy in their efforts as part of the Pigeon River Habitat Initiative.
 
Another winner was the Negwegon, Rockport and Thompson’s Harbor Advisory Committee, which developed plans for three public properties (Negwegon, Rockport and Thompson’s Harbor) by conceptually treating them as one inter-related unit. The Committee has designated its award to help defray the costs of placing interpretive signs that were designed by Alcona High School students at the Negwegon State Park.

Gerald Lake from Grayling received the award in 2008 for his many years of work to improve and protect the quality of the North Branch Au Sable River. His award has been applied to a watershed management plan project on the North Branch Au Sable River.

Gus Chutorash from Alger also won in 2008 for his many years of dedication to caring for and educating people about water quality in the Rifle River Watershed. His award was applied to the Cole Canoe Base Boy Scout Camp, which has become a model for Conservation Education and is nationally recognized by the Boy Scouts of America as the leading Ecology and Conservation Program in the United States due to his outstanding direction over the past 30 years.

The Annual Watershed Walk led by Kevin Kennedy in Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools won in the organization category in 2008.  This program was recognized for its great educational value and the subsequent good it will do for the Thunder Bay, Black and North Branch Au Sable River watersheds. His award has gone to purchase project equipment for upcoming years.

Alcona Township in Alcona County was recognized for their establishment of a park on Lake Huron at the mouth of the Black River. The township, under the leadership of township supervisor Roger Carlin, applied for and received a grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to create the park in conjunction with the department's upgrading of the public access on the river. Many residents of the township spent hundreds of hours cleaning and refurbishing the area so now it is a beautiful place to visit.

Loraine Becker was recognized for her educational efforts to teach young people about the ecology of a river. She plans and organizes ‘watershed walks’ for students from the Atlanta, Hillman and Johannesburg-Lewiston high schools, whereby the students meet with resource specialists along the river while canoeing from its headwaters to its mouth at Lake Huron in Alpena learning about the unique environment of a drainage system.

Jerry Smith was recognized for his outstanding contributions to protect and preserve the beautiful Ocqueoc River in Presque Isle County. He has spent many days of his time working with other members of the Ocqueoc River Watershed committee to improve the area.