Contacts
Bruce Woods (907) 786-3695
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has named Sandra Siekaniec as the new manager of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Ms. Siekaniec is currently the Deputy Refuge Manager of the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge (near McGrath, Alaska) where she has worked for the last four years.
The Izembek Refuge staff is responsible for administering four separate refuge units encompassing 2.9 million acres: Izembek Refuge; the Pavlof and North Creek units of Alaska Peninsula Refuge; and Unimak Island of Alaska Maritime Refuge. In 1986, Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Izembek State Game Refuge, which encompasses the submerged land of Izembek Lagoon, became the first wetland area in the United States to be recognized as a Wetland of International Importance by the RAMSAR Convention. In 2001, Izembek Refuge was also designated as a Globally Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy. (For more information on Izembek NWR, go to: http:\\izembek.fws.gov)
Ms. Siekaniec, an Indiana native, is a graduate of Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management. During her 19-year career with the National Wildlife Refuge System, she has worked at seven different refuges and wetland management districts located in the states of Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan, Maine, North Dakota, and Alaska. The mission of the majority of these refuges was waterfowl management. In her last lower-48 state position Sandra served as the Project Leader for the Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge Complex in North Dakota. There she completed a Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Complex and worked with local non-governmental organizations and community groups to resolve issues related to a major flood event in the area. In announcing Sandra?s new position, Rowan Gould, the Service?s Alaska Regional Director, said, ?Sandra has the energy and experience to lead the refuge in the tradition of such legendary managers as Robert ?Sea Otter? Jones.?
?I am looking forward to enjoying the unique wildlife resources of coastal Alaska, and to working with the local communities to promote the Izembek Refuge? said Ms. Siekaniec. Digital photos of Sandra Siekaniec are available to the media from Bruce Woods at the number above.
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 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 544 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.
-fws-
For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov
|
