Bill Peterson Comes on Board as New Manager of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Bill Peterson is the new manager of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. It's not been even a month since he has come on board for the post that was vacant for over a year.

Peterson has lately moved to Massachusetts from Memphis, Tenn. There, he was manager of Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas. Currently, Peterson and his wife, Stacy, are living on rent in York, Maine.

He has good amount of experience and is planning to utilize the same in the Refuge, which was established in 1941 with an aim to provide feeding, resting and nesting habitats for migratory birds. The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is associated with Plum Island.

The Refuge comprises of over 4,700 acres of diverse habitats, including sandy beach, dune, cranberry bog, maritime forests, freshwater marsh and shrub land. Peterson affirmed, "Our primary focus is on the wildlife. Our top priority is the endangered species and the larger numbers of migratory birds. Conservation comes before public use, but we try to balance that".

He wants to encourage people to step out and recreate in the Refuge and learn about nature. Every year, between 250,000 and 300,000 people visit the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. He wants every person visiting the place should be able to see the beach and the marsh and explore the area.

Along with this, they have also to make sure that the marsh continues to be there for the next generations. Parker River is the perfect coastal habitat for over 300 species of resident and migratory birds and a number of mammals, insects, fish, reptiles and amphibians.

One of the first things in the to-do list of Peterson is to ensure that the staff, volunteers and visitors have safe and positive experiences in the refuge. As the Refuge manager, Peterson wants to complete the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge comprehensive conservation plan (CCP), which the Refuge's management plant for the next 15 years.

Source: Here