In Memory of Walt Stieglitz

By Paul Tritaik

 A local and national conservation hero passed away on February 12, 2021. Few people were as dedicated to the protection and stewardship of Pelican Island as Walt Stieglitz. I first met Walt on March 10, 1996 during the 4th Annual Pelican Island Wildlife Festival at Sebastian River High School. Walt and his wife Lynn had just moved to Micco in January and were getting acquainted with a community of like-minded folks. Walt seemed to enjoy the wildlife-focused activities and the attention that our first national wildlife refuge was getting. I quickly learned that Walt’s opinion mattered greatly, because he had recently retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) after 34 years of monumental achievement from his post as Regional Director in Anchorage, Alaska.

Walter Otto Stieglitz was born in Bunker Hill, Illinois on April 14, 1934 and grew up in that small farming community. Walt graduated from high school at 16, took a year off to work on the farm and a summer job with the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon. Walt attended Southern Illinois University (SIU), met and married his sweetheart, Lynn in 1954, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in zoology in 1955. Walt started graduate school, but then served a 3-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, before finishing with his master’s degree in wildlife management at SIU in 1960. During this time, Walt and Lynn had two children, Jeff and Kim.

Ten days after graduating, Walt started his career as Assistant Refuge Manager at Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Walt’s first job was painting a steel flag pole, because the Refuge Manager there didn’t want the young college grad to get too big-headed.  After a year, Walt moved his family to Delray Beach to work for the South Florida National Wildlife Refuge Complex, headquartered at Loxahatchee NWR[BS1]  (now Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee NWR). There, Walt served as Assistant Refuge Manager, but performed biological duties, including aerial surveys at Pelican Island, Sanibel (now J.N. “Ding” Darling NWR), and the Florida Keys. Walt performed them so well, that his biological responsibilities broadened to include all of the Florida refuges. Then he was promoted to be the District Management Biologist for all the refuges in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. While in south Florida, Walt and Lynn had their third child, Barry.

In 1967, Walt moved to the Regional Office in Atlanta to become the District Supervisor for all of the refuges in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. Walt was beginning to make a name for himself. So much so, that in 1973, when the new San Francisco Bay NWR needed a refuge manager on short notice, the Director of the FWS tapped Walt to start up that unique refuge. The FWS wasn’t uniformly enthralled with accepting a congressionally authorized refuge in an urban environment with potential for high public use. Nor were there many refuge managers interested in a 40-acre refuge, surrounded by 5 million people, a very active friends group, and significant congressional interest. But Walt took it as an opportunity and enjoyed the public relations, master planning, land acquisition, adding other refuges to the complex, and building facilities. Walt said that it was one of the highlights of his career.

In 1975, after successfully starting up San Francisco Bay NWR, Walt was summoned to Washington to serve as Branch Chief of Natural Resources in the Division of Refuges. There he was asked to take on the daunting task of leading the politically conceived and hastily implemented Bicentennial Land Heritage Program in 1976. Walt welcomed the challenge of creating a master list of prioritized refuge needs without any prior planning, because it was a rare opportunity to yield tremendous resources for refuges. He quickly organized regions to produce one sheet master plans for every significant refuge. This concerted effort resulted in the creation of 500 additional positions and about $200 million in funding, which helped build offices, visitor centers, and other needed facilities on refuges.

Walt then moved back to Atlanta in 1980 to serve as Deputy Regional Director until he was called back to Washington in 1984. He served two more leadership roles in Headquarters until 1987, when he was asked to go to Alaska to become the Regional Director. That’s where Walt would finish his career, but not before tackling some of that Region’s most controversial issues. In 1989, the Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Prince William Sound and spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil, coating over 1,300 miles of coastline and killing over 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, 22 orcas, and billions of salmon and herring eggs. Walt was selected to lead the Interior Department’s response and damage assessment, which included staffing sea otter and bird recovery centers, collecting data on spill effects, and personally catching red-eye flights to Washington D.C. to attend meetings and Congressional hearings. Walt provided crucial testimony to refute claims of minimized harm to fish and wildlife, and asserted the need to evaluate sub-lethal effects. The settlement received from Exxon resulted in the acquisition over 1,000 acres of prime coastal habitat on Kodiak NWR.

Walt was also put in charge of the Interior Department’s responsibility to take over the Alaska Native’s subsistence program from the State of Alaska, virtually overnight, as a result of a court ruling. This required the complicated task of coordinating four federal agencies and the State to collect the information needed to establish fact-based subsistence hunting regulations that Alaska Natives would comply with.

If that wasn’t enough, Walt also helped implement the landmark Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), which added over 79 million acres of land through creation of nine new refuges and expanding seven existing refuges, including the controversial Arctic NWR where proposals to drill for oil continue to this day. In 1994, after seven consequential years at the helm of the largest landholdings in the NWRS, Walt decided to retire after 34 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Instead of staying in Anchorage, Alaska, Walt and Lynn decided to build a cabin near Jackson Hole, Wyoming and a home in Micco, Florida near Pelican Island NWR. Which brings me back to when we met in 1996. It took me a year to recruit Walt to join and lead PIPS, and thank goodness he did. Walt was elected President in 1997 and got busy helping with planning, organizing, and coordinating the annual Pelican Island Wildlife Festivals. Walt also volunteered to help control invasive moon vine on Pelican Island proper and Brazilian pepper on refuge impoundments, as well as leading volunteer projects to clean up trash on refuge spoil islands.

However, Walt was not satisfied in helping with these routine support projects. Walt expanded the focus of PIPS to include supporting the refuge’s boundary expansion and subsequent acquisition of a buffer area of about 300 acres on the barrier island, which is only a quarter of a mile from Pelican Island proper.

In 1998, four neighboring landowners within this buffer area entered into options with developers to sell their citrus groves for major housing developments. Walt quickly assisted in discussions with the landowners, gathering petitions to oppose the developments, and successfully leading public testimony in opposition to the development plans before the Indian River County Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners. With the threat of development removed, it was then time to get Congress to appropriate funds for land acquisition. Walt was adept at leading the effort to build Congressional support, resulting in the appropriation of $19 million over four years to acquire about 250 of the 300 acres targeted.

Walt also led PIPS’ support for the Pelican Island shoreline stabilization and restoration project, which was needed to halt the erosion of Pelican Island proper. The size of the island had diminished from its original size of 5.5 acres to 2.2 acres in 1999. PIPS provided essential volunteer support to plant cordgrass and mangroves, as well as financial assistance of $13,000.

Walt also recognized that Pelican Island NWR and its sister refuge, Archie Carr NWR, needed more than one permanent, full-time staff person (the Refuge Manager, me). Walt was particularly effective at using his extensive influence and stellar reputation to advocate internally (within FWS) to increase the staff to six permanent staff people in order to more effectively manage these refuges and to prepare for the upcoming Centennial.

Walt also advocated for more refuge funding and for the FWS to focus the Centennial celebration at Pelican Island. Walt helped lead the local planning for the Centennial, including the two-day Pelican Island Wildlife Festival. Under Walt’s leadership, PIPS assisted in funding the Centennial Trail kiosk and collecting donations for the Blue Goose Flags (for every NWR), which were displayed at the Centennial and then sent to each respective NWR. The Centennial was indeed a national event attended by the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the FWS, dignitaries such as Jack Hanna and Jim Fowler, refuges and FWS programs from all of the nation, and about 25,000 visitors.

Walt led PIPS as President from 1997 until the Centennial year of 2003, when he stepped down to take over the duties of Treasurer. However, Walt continued to stay very involved in efforts to help Pelican Island as Treasurer for another 11 years, including funding a $10,000 live oak transplant project to augment habitat restoration in 2006 that was recognized by the Regional Director.  Walt also led PIPS’ role in funding, permitting, and contracting the construction of the Joe Michael Memorial Trail and Overlook in 2008. Walt also continued to advocate for increased funding and personnel for Pelican Island and the whole National Wildlife Refuge System, through appeals to FWS leadership and advocacy in the halls of Congress. Walt’s championing the cause of Pelican Island always overlapped with his championing the cause of the Refuge System because his true interest was in helping all national wildlife refuges. He was able to do this because of his position with the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA).

In 1998, one year after joining PIPS, Walt was elected to the Board of Directors for the NWRA and served until 2005, part of which was as Vice Chair. Walt used his position on the NWRA Board to further his appeals for greater support of Pelican Island, but also led efforts that benefitted other refuges and indeed, the whole Refuge System. Walt helped lead discussions and/or resolutions on FWS reorganization, drilling in Arctic NWR, combatting invasive species, National Bison Range management, improving Board function, and increasing Friends Group coordination.

Walt recognized that individual friends groups would be far more effective if they got together to support one another. Because of this, Walt co-founded the Friends of Florida National Wildlife Refuges, made up of 14 Florida refuge friends groups. Together, they promoted Refuge System issues, developed Board skills, improved networking, and advocated collaboratively with all Florida refuges. One early success of this advocacy collaboration was the saving of Egmont Key NWR in 2001. Walt and other Florida friends, along with the NWRA, helped the Chassahowitzka NWR friends group stop legislation that would have transferred Egmont Key NWR to the State of Florida.

Walt strongly believed that the NWRA should act as a national voice for all refuge friends groups and supported efforts to improve coordination. Walt wanted to pass on what he learned from his 34 years of experience. In February of 2005, Walt attended the National Wildlife Refuge Friends Conference in Washington D.C. with his successor as PIPS President, David Cox. David recalled that Walt efficiently set up meetings with Members of Congress ahead of time, crafted a one-page “elevator speech” for each Member, and kept the remarks simple, direct, and to the point. Walt would corner anyone he recognized in the hallway if given half the chance. Because Walt was humble, yet firm, his message was received loud and clear.

Walt’s commitment to conservation activism was not confined to wildlife refuges. Walt also served on the Board of Directors for the Marine Resources Council (MRC) from 1996 until 2014 to advocate for a healthy Indian River Lagoon (where Pelican Island resides). Walt was recognized for his outstanding leadership as Chair of the Board in directing the MRC to develop a vision statement, strategic plan, bylaws revision, and goal setting. Walt successfully navigated a thorny organizational issue that enabled the MRC to smoothly transition to new leadership. On top of that, Walt introduced board discipline and budget solvency, while continuing to lead in advocating for conservation improvements, such as a strong fertilizer ordinance.

Walt’s precise organizational skills, attention to detail, and frugal, yet pragmatic approach served his management style very well. Yet it was Walt’s endearing smile and steely blue eyes, coupled with his charming laugh and disarming humor, which served to influence decision-makers and yield incredible results. In the end, it was Walt’s stern commitment to conserve our wildlife and wild places, like Pelican Island, that made the biggest difference, not unlike another German-American, Paul Kroegel.

 Text Contributed by: Lynn Stieglitz, Barry Stieglitz, Tim Glover, David Cox, Geoff Haskett, Evan Hirsche, Debbie Harwood, Leesa Souto, Steve Chalmers, Joanna Taylor, and John Cornely