Contacting the Refuge:
Refuge Manager: Steve Kahl
e-mail: Steve_Kahl@fws.gov6975 Mower Road
Saginaw, MI 48601
Phone: 989/777-5930
Fax: 989/777-9200
V/TTY: 800/649-3777 (Michigan State Relay)The refuge is located five miles south of Saginaw, Michigan, on Highway M-13, then two miles west on Curtis Road
Refuge Facts
Established: 1953
Acres: 9,427
Acquisition of an additional 7,500 acres and construction of a visitor center is planned
Administers Michigan Island NWR (422 acres) in Lake Huron
Considered an urban refuge
Coordinates wetland restoration projects in 22 counties and manages conservation easements in 44 counties of lower Michigan
Financial Impact of Refuge
Nine person staff
55,000 visitors annually
FY 2006 Budget: $1.1 million
Natural History
Refuge is in an area known as the Shiawassee Flats
One of the largest and most productive wetland ecosystems in Michigan
Large populations of migratory birds use the refuge as a stopping point
75 percent of the refuge is wetland and bottomland hardwood habitat, the remaining portion is cropland and moist soils units
Refuge Objectives
Provide resting, nesting and feeding habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds
Provide habitat for resident wildlife
Protect endangered and threatened species
Provide for biodiversity
Provide public opportunities for outdoor recreation and environmental education
Priorities
Improve and expand refuge biological program
Reconstruct the Ferguson Bayou Dike
Develop interpretive auto tour route
Public Use Opportunities
12 miles of hiking trails
Hunting, fishing and boating
Environmental education
Wildlife observation and photography
Green Point Environmental Learning Center (989-759-1669)
Volunteer programs, “Friends of the Refuge”
