The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Midwest Assistant Regional Director for Fisheries, Gerry Jackson, today named Mark Brouder as the new project leader for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ashland, Wis., Fishery Resources Office.
Brouder replaces Mark Dryer, who retired last June. He will report for duty in Ashland on Feb. 19.
“ Mark Brouder brings more than 15 years of fisheries experience to the Ashland Fishery Resources Office, and I am proud to welcome him as a new member to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Midwest Region,” Jackson said.
“ I am looking forward to getting involved with the people of northern Wisconsin and the Lake Superior basin to continue the ongoing efforts to restore our fisheries and aquatic resources and fight the ongoing problems with aquatic invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species ,” Brouder said. “I am also looking forward to fitting in some long-overdue walleye and lake trout fishing.”
Brouder most recently served as assistant project leader for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Arizona Fishery Resources Office. During that time, he helped develop cooperative conservation efforts throughout the Southwest area with state, local and private agencies to improve protection efforts for natural resources.
His work focused on restoring federally threatened Apache trout, and the federally endangered humpback chub, bonytail chub, and razorback sucker. Brouder also has a long history of working with Native American tribes and private landowners throughout Arizona to improve fish populations and the aquatic habitats that they depend on.
In addition to his work with the Service, Brouder worked for the Arizona Department of Game and Fish, where he studied the effects of the Glen Canyon Dam on endangered humpback chub in the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, as well as several unique walleye populations found in reservoirs near the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Brouder grew up in Chicago and holds a Masters degree in Fisheries from Murray State University in western Kentucky and Bachelor of Science in Fisheries from Southern Illinois University. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two-year old daughter, fishing, hunting, outdoor photography and wood working.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 96-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
