The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has selected Shannon Ludwig as project leader for Shelton-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Oregon and Nevada. Ludwig has been the deputy project leader at the refuge complex since 2017.
“We are proud to have Shannon as the new project leader at Sheldon and Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuges,” said Robyn Thorson, Columbia-Pacific Northwest Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “He has a 20-year record of collaborative conservation at refuges, including a lot of experience working in the Pacific Northwest. He has tackled numerous challenging issues during his time as deputy project leader at Sheldon-Hart, and we welcome his continued leadership.”
Ludwig said his primary goal is to build on previous conservation successes at the refuges.
“I will support our staff to successfully achieve conservation goals at both Hart Mountain and Sheldon,” Ludwig said. “This includes juniper control in sagebrush sagebrush
The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.
Learn more about sagebrush , spring restoration, fire rehabilitation when needed, and keeping the refuges free of feral horses. We’ll also continue our work with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to put bighorn sheep on a path to recovery at Hart Mountain.”
Ludwig earned his bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and completed his master’s degree in Environmental Engineering Sciences from the University of Florida. In his free time, Ludwig enjoys hiking with his wife, hunting, watching his son and daughter compete in a variety of sports, and coaching the Lakeview High School wrestling team.
“I grew up on a small farm in Marshall, Minn. I spent much of my time hunting and roaming the marshes out my back door, and working in the fields. That’s what created my passion for the outdoors and conservation,” Ludwig said. “I’ve had the humbling experience of working with some of the best conservation professionals in the world, and they helped further my passion for conservation. I have learned something important from every one of them, and I appreciate how each shared their time to help me learn and succeed.”
For more information on the refuges, visit https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hart_Mountain/About_the_Complex.html
