Fisheries technician Carl Christiansen first came to work for the Department of Natural Resources as a creel clerk in 2002, shortly after graduating from Northern Michigan University with a B.S. in environmental conservation. While in college, he worked as a biological science aide for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the sea lamprey program.

As a creel clerk, Christiansen worked at Lake Leelanau, Manistique Lake, Grand Marais and the Tahquamenon River and became the lead worker for the Upper Peninsula creel census program in 2005.

In June 2011, Christiansen, a Newberry native, was promoted to his current position.

"I really enjoy the hands-on management aspect of fisheries division," he said. "I really believe we're making the fisheries better in the eastern Upper Peninsula."

A fishing, camping, and duck- and bird-hunting enthusiast, Christiansen lives in Newberry with his wife, son, daughter, three cats and a dog.

See where Carl fits into the structure of Fisheries organization.