September 25, 2003
BY GALE A. NORTON

 

COMMENT: Detroit River refuge reflects long legacy of conservation


One of the most appealing aspects about America is that the best ideas in our country are not thought up by a committee, handed down by edict from a high official or invented in the back office of a government bureaucracy. Rather, they come from the people, often working in partnership with each other, who capture a vision and then pursue it until it becomes real.

This week at Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of one of America's best ideas, the National Wildlife Refuge System.

There are many famous names associated with this great network of lands, the largest in the world dedicated to wildlife conservation, including Teddy Roosevelt, who founded the refuge system with a stroke of his pen in 1903. But it was an obscure German immigrant, Paul Kroegel, who had the vision that became a reality on Roosevelt's desk. In doing so, he demonstrated that one person -- with dedication and fearless conviction -- can make a contribution for conservation that will last for generations. His life reminds us that we too can make a difference.

In 1903, Kroegel lived on a house on the banks of Florida's Indian River. At the time, ladies' hats festooned with bird feathers were the fashion rage. To collect feathers, market hunters greedily decimated bird populations on a small island off the shore, Pelican Island, annihilating entire flocks in a single outing.

Kroegel took a stand against the slaughter at great personal risk. Market hunters sometimes murdered those who opposed them. Kroegel did not back down in the face of the violence, and eventually Roosevelt heard about his exploits.

When Roosevelt signed the order establishing Pelican Island as our first refuge, he named Kroegel as the first refuge manager at a salary of $1 a month, paid by the Audubon Society because there was no federal appropriation. This single courageous man, with a badge and a gun and a boat, stood watch over Pelican Island until 1926.

Today, the National Wildlife Refuge System has 540 refuges in all 50 states encompassing a total area the size of Montana. It includes examples of virtually every ecosystem in the United States. You can watch grizzlies fish for salmon on Alaska's Kenai peninsula while bald eagles soar overhead. You can wander the rain forests of Hawaii and see tropical birds that live nowhere else in the world. You can gaze skyward on the Texas gulf coast and see a flock of whooping cranes complete their 2,400-mile migration from Manitoba.

It is appropriate that we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the system at Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge because it represents the fulfillment of a new vision for the refuge system.

Detroit River, the first international refuge and one of only a few refuges located in an urban area, is the creation of a diverse partnership. Local citizens, conservation groups and businesses joined forces to reach a common goal: to set aside vital habitat on an industrial river to the benefit of wildlife and the enjoyment of sportsmen and others who cherish the beauty and majesty of nature. The refuge provides a home for 29 species of waterfowl, 65 kinds of fish, and 300 species of migratory birds.

The refuge also provides opportunities for the people in the Detroit-Windsor area to enjoy a place of quiet and solitude and of unfettered natural beauty in an increasingly crowded and busy world.

As we celebrate the centennial of the refuge system, President George W. Bush is committed to ensuring that Detroit River and other refuges remain healthy and whole for the next 100 years. His proposed $402-million budget for the National Wildlife Refuge System represents a 25 percent increase in funding since 2002 and more than double the 1997 budget.

Conservation in America, however, must continue to be a partnership between the government and the people. One of the greatest strengths of the refuge system is the number of Americans who donate their time and labor to their local refuges.

Overall, 40,000 people volunteer on refuges, donating a million hours of their time each year. No one asks for any credit. They do it out of love for wild places and wild creatures. They do it because one person can make a difference.

As we celebrate this 100th anniversary, the spirit of Paul Kroegel is very much alive at Detroit River and in our refuge system across America. We invite the people of the Detroit area to work with us to hand down this priceless treasure to future generations.

Saturday's activities go from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown Township. Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton will attend the 10 a.m. opening ceremony. Details are available at http://midwest.fws.gov/ DetroitRiver/Mainpage.html

For more information, go to volunteers.fws.gov or www.takepride.gov.


GALE A. NORTON is secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Write to her at the Department of the Interior, 1849 C St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.