Great egrets such as these will be a common sight for visitors along Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge's wildlife drive. - USFWS photo by Kim Le Blanc

A view from Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge's wildlife drive - USFWS photo by Steven Kahl

The design and engineering phase for a new auto tour route at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge is underway.  This phase should be complete in time for the refuge to begin construction in FY2009.  Currently, visitors mainly have access to four trails situated on the edges of the refuge and few get to see the wildlife spectacle that makes the refuge unique.  The 7.5-mile Wildlife Drive will meander past forests, grasslands, marshes, open water pools, and the Shiawassee River and will enhance the ability of visitors to see waterfowl, herons, eagles and a great diversity of other wildlife.  Further, visitors will be able to see the management practices the refuge uses to attract this abundance of wildlife.

The Wildlife Drive is funded via $2 million from the Federal Highway Administration, $620,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Deferred Maintenance account, and $200,000 from FWS Visitor Facility Enhancement funds.  Construction will include elevating low roads, improving the gravel road surface, and rounding out restrictive corners.  Other important amenities include a new observation platform on the Shiawassee, a new parking area for visitors to access the 4.5-mile Ferguson Bayou Trail, and a new fishing and canoe access site along the Spaulding Drain.

The new route should increase the refuge’s visitor numbers substantially and provide a boost to the local economy.  Recreational use at the refuge generated approximately $1 million in economic activity during fiscal year 2006, according to a report by FWS entitled “Banking on Nature 2006: The Economic Benefits to Local Communities of National Wildlife Refuge Visitation.”  Approximately 60,000 people visited Shiawassee Refuge in 2006, with non-residents accounting for 63 percent of the total expenditure.  The Wildlife Drive will conservatively attract 30,000 new visitors annually.  In fact, this facility is by far the most requested improvement to the refuge’s visitor services program made by the public.