>>When Rob Jess became manager of J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge in early 2002, he knew that protecting one of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's shining jewels would pose challenges. What he didn't know was that two hurricanes, a series of alligator attacks and a developing crisis in waters surrounding the refuge on Sanibel would make his new job even harder.

"This is just one of 548 refuges covering 100 million acres of land, but it's considered one of the top 10 posts to have," says Jess, 44. "The caveat is that, yes, it can be difficult. This is a dynamic refuge that's very visible on a local, regional and international scale."

National publications consistently list "Ding" Darling as one of the country's top birding spots and, in a good year, it draws more than 800,000 visitors. According to a recent Fish & Wildlife Service report, the refuge generated more than $47 million in related economic activity in 2004 and its presence has resulted in 490 Southwest Florida jobs.

"Ecotourism is one of our strongest draws and 'Ding' Darling is huge," says Mark Crabb, deputy director of the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau. "You feel like you're a million miles away when you enter the refuge, and that's what people look for. A lot of visitors hear of 'Ding' by word of mouth and, when they think of this region, they think of roseate spoonbills and alligators."

Taking care of such an important and delicate resource is something Jess was born to do, he says. As the son of a military officer, he moved often during his childhood, though he still calls Oklahoma home. By the time he was in his late 20s, Jess had a steady job, a wife and five children, but he thought switching careers was a move he had to make.

"I'm half Cherokee and I saw taking care of wildlife as a return to my roots," he says.

While studying for his biology degree at Utah State University, Jess entered an internship program with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Since graduating in 1993, he has served in different capacities at refuges in Montana, Wyoming and South Carolina. Prior to coming to Sanibel, he was a deputy refuge supervisor at the service's Southeast regional headquarters in Atlanta. His current job is his first as a refuge's top administrator.

"It would be a challenge for anyone to manage one of the most popular and visited refuges in the country," says Erick Lindblad, executive director of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). "He's faced additional significant challenges with two hurricanes, water-management problems and an ever-growing population that causes increased human-wildlife interaction. But he cares deeply about wildlife management and he's done well."

Between September 2001 and August 2004, three separate alligator attacks on Sanibel claimed the lives of two residents, igniting contentious debate concerning the size and number of alligators on the island. In 2004, Hurricane Charley damaged more than 60 percent of the refuge's mangroves. In 2005, Hurricane Wilma caused even more damage.

The aftermath of the past two hurricane seasons has posed Jess' biggest challenge. Multiple storms have churned up nutrients in Lake Okeechobee, which have washed down the Caloosahatchee in the vast amounts of lake water released by the U.S. Corps of Engineers to lower the lake's level. The nutrient-rich fresh water enters waters surrounding the "Ding" Darling refuge, wreaking havoc with salinity levels and resulting in large algae blooms.

By late 2005, local governments and concerned citizen groups were threatening to sue the corps and South Florida Water Management District. Although federal refuges tend to avoid local politics, "Ding" Darling made headlines in January when it sent a list of water management recommendations to the corps.

"Essentially, we gave the facts as we know them, the science and data. But the pictures that were published made a profound impact," says Jess.

Photos of heavy mats of thick algae along refuge shorelines galvanized local efforts to pressure the corps. By March, it had agreed to consider ways to improve the quality of lake water that will be stored in a new reservoir meant to regulate the lake releases.

"Is it feasible to do something in a shorter timeframe? That's the $64,000 question," says Jess. "The corps and water management district are in a tough spot, and anything they do in the short term will impact someone. We're sympathetic, to a point."

In partnership with SCCF, the refuge continues to study the problem at SCCF's Tarpon Bay Marine Laboratory, generating data that measure the effect of the releases.

"The water issues we are facing are going to take a concerted effort by all concerned," says Lindblad. "But it's certainly advantageous that the manager of this wildlife refuge was willing to speak up on the issue."