For Varney, who reported for his new assignment earlier this month, the Kofa job is his first Refuge Manager position. He has served as Assistant Manager at refuges in Utah, North Dakota, Colorado and, for the past eight years, at Sunkhaze Meadows NWR in Maine. Varney helped design and implement biological surveys and monitoring efforts plus recreation programs at the refuge, which was established in 1988.
This position is Varneys first assignment in the desert Southwest. "Its quite a change from the ice storm we experienced last January," Varney quipped when asked about the current Yuma temperatures. "I got quite a few strange looks from the movers when they unloaded my cross-country skis and ice-fishing equipment last week."
A native of Maine, Varney graduated from the University of Maine with a B.S. Degree in Wildlife Management in 1971. He spent two years in the Army before beginning government service on a survey crew in Wyoming. He spent 15 years in the West before returning to Maine in 1990.
"After I returned to Maine, I began to realize how much I had come to love the West. I enjoyed my time back home, particularly since my wife and I had relatives in that part of the country, but Ive been looking for a western assignment for some time now. Im really looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that the Refuge Manager at Kofa offers," he said.
Varney, who enjoys hunting, fishing and many other outdoor activities, now resides in Yuma with his wife Nancy. They have two grown daughters living in Boston.
