According to the Services Alaska Regional Director, David B. Allen, Schaff has been with the Service for more than 20 years. " Bill Schaff comes to us with the seasoned know-how and dedication necessary to manage the Innoko Refuge," Allen said. "His background working on refuges and his proven wildlife management abilities make him an ideal person to steer the Innoko Refuge into the 21st Century. Bill is also highly thought of for his ability to work closely with local residents and refuge users.
In his new role, Schaff will manage a refuge that comprises most of the Innoko River basin and is composed of two separate sections that total more than 4 million acres. Approximately 250,000 waterfowl nest on Innoko Refuges wetlands, which make up about 80 percent of the Refuge. The Innoko Refuge provides habitat for wolf, black bear, grizzly bear, caribou and furbearers, including muskrat, weasel, wolverine, lynx, marten and red fox. Biologists attribute the healthy moose population to flooding along the streams that enhance the growth of willows
