Elk Refuge manager to retire

National Elk Refuge Manager Steve Kallin has announced he will retire from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service effective January 3, 2017. Kallin has served 39 years in wildlife management, the last 38 with the Service.

After a year with the U.S. Forest Service, Kallin joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1980. He became Assistant Manager at Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan. Kallin became manager of the National Elk Refuge in 2007.

During his tenure at the National Elk Refuge, Kallin initiated new Refuge elk and bison hunting seasons and expanded access to Refuge hunt permits from an on-site lottery to an on-line drawing. He implemented the first Native American ceremonial bison hunt in the National Wildlife Refuge System and played a critical role in the establishment of the North Highway 89 multi-use pathway on the Refuge. The Refuge’s 15-year Comprehensive Conservation Plan was completed under Kallin’s leadership, along with an expansion of the Refuge’s irrigation system from 1,000 acres to over 4,000 acres.

“It has been a tremendous privilege to work at the National Elk Refuge,” Kallin said. “The spectacular beauty of this place, combined with the community’s passion for wildlife issues, has made my time both interesting and rewarding. I leave the Refuge in the extremely capable hands of its small but dedicated staff and cadre of volunteers.”

Kallin and his family plan to remain in the Jackson area. The agency is expected to name a successor in the coming months.