U.S. Coast Guard Capt. James Bendle, Sector Northern Great Lakes commander, poses for a photo alongside five members of the Honorable James L. Oberstar unified command at the Northwestern Michigan College’s maritime campus in Traverse City on May 27. Sector personnel were in attendance to honor and recognize the members' efforts and commitment to the Northern Michigan Area Committee. Robin Bouschor, Sault Tribe environmental program manager for its Natural Resources Division, was honored with the US Coast Guard Public Service Commendation for her service during the June 2025 emergency response to the grounding of the Oberstar on the St. Mary’s River. (Courtesy photo by U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes)

SAULT STE. MARIE — The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has announced that Robin Bouschor, environmental program manager for the tribe’s Gidayaangwaami’idimin Ezhi-inawendiyang (the Natural Resources Division), has been honored with the US Coast Guard Public Service Commendation for her service during the June 2025 emergency response to the grounding of the M/V Honorable James L. Oberstar on the St. Mary’s River.

The grounding of the 806-foot freighter caused catastrophic damage to approximately 90 percent of the vessel’s hull and ruptured its fuel and ballast tanks, placing more than 30,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil at immediate risk of release into the river, which empties into Lake Huron. Among the areas threatened was Shingle Bay, a culturally significant and ecologically sensitive area recently reacquired by the Sault Tribe and established as a preserve for community members to exercise their treaty rights.

“Robin’s commitment to protecting our lands, air and waters stands as a testament to the vital role the Sault Tribe plays in the environmental well-being of the region,” said Sault Tribe Chairman Austin Lowes. “Her swift action and expertise helped protect waters and lands that are sacred to our people, and we cannot thank her enough for her leadership to help avoid what could have been one of the most significant environmental disasters in generations.”

Bouschor integrated with the Coast Guard Unified Command alongside federal, state, tribal and Canadian partners. Using her deep local knowledge, Robin helped shape the strategic response, enabling the deployment of more than 240 responders and supporting 12 high-risk operations.

Thanks to her efforts, the vessel was stabilized and safely navigated 360 miles across Lake Superior to Duluth, Minnesota.

Bouschor said that intergovernmental collaboration and tribal consultation were key to ensuring a robust response.

“What stands out most to me wasn’t any one action, but rather the collaboration between everyone involved. It was impressive to see so many organizations come together to protect the Great Lakes and prevent what could have become a much larger environmental incident,” said Bouschor. “The experience also reinforced the importance of tribal participation during emergency response efforts. Sometimes our role is not necessarily to lead operations, but to ensure tribal voices, knowledge, concerns, and stewardship responsibilities are represented in the decision-making process.”