New Manager Reports for Duty at
Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges
After more than 24 years of working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service across the Nation, Lee Albright has returned to his home state of Illinois to serve as the new manager for the Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges. The station, headquartered in Havana, Ill., includes three national wildlife refuges -- Chautauqua, Meredosia, and Emiquon – that together cover more than 12,000 acres and extend 125 miles along the Illinois River from its northern most to southern most point.
Albright was born and raised in Peoria, Ill. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology from Southern Illinois University. He first put his education to work with volunteer and seasonal positions for The Nature Conservancy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in North Dakota.
During the winter, when seasonal positions were not available in North Dakota, Albright worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service as a government observer on commercial fishing vessels, ensuring the fish were harvested in a legal and sustainable manner. Over the course of several winters he worked on ships based out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska and Panama.
Albrights first permanent position with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was at the Kulm Wetland Management District in North Dakota. Over the next 20 years he held positions at Valley City, Arrowwood, and J. Clark Salyer Wetland Management Districts in North Dakota. He then moved to Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado, and finally to the Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Washington State prior to moving to his new position at Illinois River.
"Illinois is my childhood home and Im very gratified to be back here in this capacity," said Albright. "It was a long and winding path back home, but Im looking forward to using all the experience I gained along the way to help improve fish and wildlife habitat here along the Illinois River."
The national wildlife refuges under Albrights management were established at different times for a variety of purposes. The first refuge, Chautauqua NWR, was established in 1936 and includes 4,488 acres in Mason County, along with an additional 1,709 acres in Marshall County that is known as the Cameron-Billsbach Unit. The next refuge established was Meredosia in 1973. Meredosia NWR currently includes 3,852 acres in Cass and Morgan Counties, it is authorized to include up to 5,807 acres. The final refuge, Emiquon, was established in 1993; it currently includes 2,114 acres and is authorized to expand to 11,122 acres.
More information on the Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges can be found online at: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/IllinoisRiver/
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov
