UWSP alumnus named chief of National Wildlife Refuge System
James Kurth, a 1978 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, has been selected as the new chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Kurth will lead the agency in the management of the 108-year-old Refuge System, which encompasses more than 150 million acres and 555 units in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe announced Kurth’s selection. Kurth, a 32-year veteran of the Refuge System, has served as the Service’s deputy chief for the Refuge System since 1999.
"Jim is the ideal person for this position," said Ashe. "His depth of experience with the National Wildlife Refuge System and demonstrated strong leadership are just what the Fish and Wildlife Service needs as we begin implementation of the Conserving the Future document—our renewed vision for the growth and management of the Refuge System during the next decade and beyond.”
After graduating with a degree in wildlife management from the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point, Kurth began his Refuge System career, holding posts at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge in Lousiana, Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge in Rhode Island. He most recently managed the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in north Alaska. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with 20 million acres, is the largest refuge in the United States.
President Teddy Roosevelt began The National Wildlife Refuge System in 1903 with the establishment of 3-acre Pelican Island in Florida. The system includes a wide range of habitat types such as prairies, coastal and marine areas, and tundra and boreal forests. The refuges also provide numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation.
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