The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has selected Michelle Chappell as project leader for Southeast Idaho National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Chappell has been the deputy project leader at the refuge since 2020.
Chappell will oversee six units of the refuge system: Bear Lake, Grays Lake, Camas, Minidoka and Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuges, and Oxford Slough Waterfowl Production Area. The refuge complex’s office is in Chubbuck, Idaho.
“We are proud to have Michelle as our new project leader at Southeast Idaho National Wildlife Refuge Complex,” said Robyn Thorson, Columbia-Pacific Northwest Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “She has a wealth of experience and knowledge from her 23-year career with the Service. Michelle is known for taking a collaborative approach to conservation, and she will continue working together with the State of Idaho and other partners.”
Chappell said her primary goal is to continue to build on previous conservation successes at the refuges.
“These are some amazing refuges. Improving the wildlife habitat and updating infrastructure will be a focus across all our refuges,” Chappell said. “One of our highlights is the Great American Outdoor Act project at Camas Refuge, which will include the restoration of Camas Creek and improved habitat for waterfowl. We’ll also look for opportunities to improve public access opportunities for recreation of all types, including hunting and fishing.”
Chappell earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, and has a master’s certificate in Natural Resources Management from Virginia Tech. She has been married to her husband for almost 21 years, add they have a 4-year-old son. “He’s getting to the age where we can share our love of the outdoors with him and enjoy seeing his excitement,” Chappell said.
Prior to joining the team at Southeast Idaho, Chappell served in various roles across the nation, ranging from Everglades Headwaters Refuge in Florida and McFaddin Refuge on the Texas gulf coast to Medicine Lake Refuge in Montana.
“I’ve worked in some pretty climatic extremes in my career,” Chappell said with a smile. “The fishing was tremendous in Texas, and the hunting was awesome in Montana. But we wanted to be closer to family in northeastern North Carolina, so I transferred to Mattamuskeet NWR in 2017. Though we lived closer to both our families, we missed the feeling of freedom and opportunities the West offered. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to work in diverse regions and the experience that comes with that. I look forward to this next adventure.”
