Monday, May 16, 2005 ERIN ALBERTY THE SAGINAW NEWS
When a snapping twig sets a herd of deer leaping across a trail, when a flock of Canada geese splashes off a woodland pond or when a great blue heron cuts silently across a stark, marshy horizon, you might not guess "a challenge" is the main attraction at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge.
But that's why Steven F. Kahl sought his post as the refuge's new manager this year.
"Part of the reason I wanted to come here is that it was still a refuge that had challenges: the dioxin issue, land acquisition and developing public use in a manner that's compatible with the mission of the refuge so it can be an appreciated part of community while still staying within our wildlife-first philosophy," Kahl said.
Kahl, 39, came to the Shiawassee this year from the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge in northern New Jersey, where he was manager. He replaces Douglas G. Spencer, who left last June for the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex near Corvalis, Ore.
Kahl's immediate goals for the Shiawassee include boosting attendance at the Green Point Environmental Learning Center -- the Friends of the Shiawassee started monthly programs there this year -- and raising interest in the refuge waterways.
"The refuge is really underrecognized as a good place to go canoeing and fishing," said Kahl, who received bachelor's and master's degrees in fish and wildlife biology and management from the State University of New York in Syracuse.
A new canoe/boat launch is planned near M-13 on the Cass River.
Long-term developments such as a new visitors center in Bridgeport and land purchases depend on federal funding, which "has been at its lowest level ever in recent years," Kahl said.
Meanwhile, Kahl is waiting to learn the impact dioxin contamination along the Tittabawassee River has on refuge wildlife. Michigan State University researchers in early May took blood samples from great horned owl specimens collected along the river as part of a larger study of many species.
"A big part of the challenge is figuring out what it does mean," he said.
"The extent of the contamination is poorly understood, and we're still in a phase of assessing where we are with this contamination, what the effects are." v
Erin Alberty is a staff writer for The Saginaw News. You may reach her at 776-9673.
© 2005 Saginaw News