Michael Johnson, Refuge Manager of Clarks River and Green River National Wildlife Refuges, is the 2022 Paul Kroegel National Wildlife Refuge Manager of the Year. The Paul Kroegel award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in the protection and management of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The award is given in honor of Paul Kroegel, the manager of the first national wildlife refuge, and is presented by the National Wildlife Refuge Association.
Johnson is a 30-year veteran with the Fish and Wildlife Service. He has always been known as someone to step-up and help accomplish the mission of the Service. In addition to land management, Johnson assumed collateral duty as a Wildlife Officer for more than 20 years. In this role he helped to protect wildlife and habitat and made refuges safe places for staff and visitors.
Originally from Arkansas, where his career began, Johnson and His wife, Michelle, have also lived in Georgia before his job finally brought them to Kentucky 18 years ago. Since then, Johnson has managed the Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge, located in Marshall, McCracken, and Graves Counties. The refuge currently covers just over 9,000 acres. Under his management, the refuge has flourished with public education and recreation opportunities, research projects for college and university students, as well as restoration of rare habitat found on the refuge. In addition, Johnson helped to establish the Riverlands Alliance, a group consisting of 20 partners working together to sustain the quality of resources, outdoor recreation, and rural aspects of the area.
In November of 2019, Johnson helped establish Kentucky’s second National Wildlife Refuge in Henderson County. The Green River National Wildlife Refuge was the 568th unit in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Thanks to Johnson’s exceptional efforts and communication with the community, there were no negative comments received from the public about the establishment of this refuge during the planning phase. This fact is truly a testament to Johnson’s servant-hearted approach in land management.
A father of two children and four grandchildren, one of Johnson’s greatest accomplishments is mentoring and growing the careers of others. He has one of the most successful student programs when compared to 30 other Refuge Managers in the Southeast Region. Just during his time as manager of Clarks River, he has assisted more than 22 student volunteers with employment in federal, state, and non-profit wildlife conservation agencies.
“I was always told the greatest contribution to conservation one can make lies within those they hire. Most people do not have the opportunity to hire numerous new employees throughout a career,” says Johnson. “However, one does have the opportunity to interact with the next generation of conservationists in many ways…. I pride myself in taking a genuine interest in those I interact with, and I am always willing to help guide them, as appropriate, to the next step of their personal and professional journey.”
His exceptional achievements in Kentucky, and throughout his career demonstrate he is indeed a worthy recipient of this National honor. Johnson will formally accept his award during a September ceremony held in Washington, DC.