December 5, 2007
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White River NWR Manager - Dennis Sharp |
DEWITT - Dennis Sharp, formerly refuge manager of Cypress Creek National
Wildlife Refuge in Ullin, Illinois, is now manager of the White River
National Wildlife Refuge in DeWitt. He began his new duties on Nov. 12.
“We welcome Dennis back to the Southeast,” said Sam D. Hamilton, Southeast
Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “He has 17 years
of valuable experience with the Service, and his accomplishments in
reforestation and wetland and river hydrology restoration will benefit
White River National Wildlife Refuge.”
Prior to his position at Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Sharp was
refuge manager at the Central Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex in
Marksville, Louisiana. That complex includes Grand Cote and Lake Ophelia
National Wildlife Refuges. He also has served as deputy project leader at
Central Arkansas Refuge Complex in Augusta, helping to oversee Cache River
and Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuges.
“I’m excited and honored to have the opportunity to return to Arkansas as
the manager of White River National Wildlife Refuge,” said Sharp. “It is
certainly one of the jewels in the refuge system and is located in one of
the most resource rich areas in the country.”
A native of Mount Vernon, Illinois, Sharp holds a bachelor’s degree in
biology and a master’s in wildlife biology from Murray State University in
Kentucky. Prior to joining the Service, Sharp worked as a wildlife
biologist and as a wildlife supervisor at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s
Land Between the Lakes.
In his spare time, Sharp enjoys hunting, fishing, boating, traveling and
watching college basketball.
Established in 1935, White River National Wildlife Refuge hosts the largest
concentration of wintering mallard ducks in the Mississippi Flyway. The
160,000-acre refuge is located in Desha, Monroe, Arkansas and Phillips
counties. Ninety of the lower 100 miles of the White River are located
within the refuge’s boundaries. More than 150,000 visitors annually enjoy
nature trails, fishing, hunting, boating and wildlife observation and
photography at the refuge.
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