One of Michigan’s iconic and wild rivers is in peril. A map of the Pere Marquette watershed shows a patchwork of protected private and public properties with large stretches of at-risk private land. Uncontrolled development along the river presents numerous threats to the health of the river and wildlife that depends on it. These threats include pollution, stream-bank erosion, invasive species, and other issues that put the wild and natural qualities of the river and the watershed in jeopardy. We believe there is a solution.
By working with families on the Pere Marquette River to create conservation agreements, and by completing land acquisitions, the land along the river will remain undeveloped for enjoyment by paddlers, anglers, hikers, and people like you. Local tourism will thrive, life will flourish in the crystal waters and everyone can delight in a wild river nearby. By legally protecting high-priority lands along the river, the quality of the watershed can be saved forever.