| Show Y r Ouray Bird Refuge Ten Years Old Still a aLong abong Long bong Way day To Go Until Finished This past year was the Ule Ouray National Nation Nation- al Wildlife Refuges Refuge's tenth birthday The acre refuge was established in 1962 1902 When founded its primary purpose pur pur- pose hose was to provide nesting habitat for ducks and geese and to serve as a n resting and feeding area for migrating waterfowl AFTER THE refuge opened for business business busi busl ness in 1962 the main task was to convert convert convert con con- vert the area into a waterfowl production production tion factory Although some same nesting had always occurred on the area Increasing production to the maximum possible meant much work converting bottomlands bottomlands bottom bottom- lands along the Green Grcen River to marsh marsh- lands Plans were drawn up for an extensive extensive extensive ex ex- system of dikes and Im im- I In the years 1964 through 1967 Congress Congress Con Con- gress appropriated funds for construction construction tion and good progress was made Then funds became scarce and development 1 slowed Today approximately 2 percent percent per per- cent of the refuge Is developed as plan plan- ned WHEN THE physical development of ofa a unit is complete there Is further de de- lay Dikes and impoundments alone do donot donot not produce ducks and geese Vegetation Vegetation tion must be established that will provide pro vide nesting cover and preferred foods Some Sonic of these plants are already present present pre pre- sent or become established on their own Others must be planted Undesirable Undesirable able species Invade the area and must be controlled In 1964 Canada geese were released released re re- re leased on the refuge From this nucleus nucleus nu nu- cleus a breeding flock has been slowly building In 1966 tl thirty young geese were observed on the tile refuge In 1968 there were forty In 1970 production dropped to twenty one 1972 WAS the best year yet as ninety young were recorded Ninety geese produced produced pro is way short of the refuge goal goaland goaland goaland and the struggle is far from over The refuge staff is hopeful though that the trend of slow but steady increases in production will continue Like a ten year old child the refuge has grown a lot but still has a long longway longway longway way to go A NEW region has been added to the I US U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife the administering agency of the Ouray Refuge This region which includes Utah becomes active on January January Jan Jan- uary 1 I 1973 and will be bo headquartered J Jin in Denver Colorado I As a move to bring administration closer to the field stations a supe supervisor visor responsible for the states o of Utah and I Colorado Robert has been appointed ap ap- ap- ap pointed His office is in Salt Lake City l Refuge manager II J J. J Johnson and his staff starr wish all a Merry Christmas |
