The gravel trail, which was completed in November, will be the second  
of its kind in the state, after one in the Upper Peninsula's Seney  
National Wildlife Refuge.

Along the trail are two new observation decks with spotting scopes to  
assist visitors in viewing more birds, DeVries said.  The refuge has  
also constructed a parking area to accommodate the anticipated larger  
amount of traffic and a new fishing and canoe access site along the  
Spaulding Drain.

"Previously we had only one day in September where tourists were  
allowed to drive in the refuge," DeVries said.  "With the new trail,  
it's going to be possible for more people to view a wider variety of  
birds and other wildlife throughout spring and summer seasons."

The Shiawassee refuge was established in 1953 to protect and increase  
the breeding of migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge  
includes marsh areas, swamps, bogs, grasslands and forests and has one  
of largest and most productive wetland ecosystems in the state,  
according to the service.

The U-shaped trail winds through forests, grasslands, marshes, open  
water pools and the Shiawassee River, with automatic gates at both  
openings.

Today, it provides habitat for threatened and endangered bird species  
like bald eagles, peregrine falcons and long- and short-eared owls and  
is home to nearly 280 species of birds, DeVries said.

The more than 9,500 acre refuge attracts about 50,000 visitors each  
year, but with the auto trail, officials project that number will  
increase by 60 percent.

Responding to recent media reports about the increasing mortality of  
certain bird species in Michigan due to vehicular and human  
disturbance, Ken Rosenberg, director of conservation science at the  
Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, N.Y., said that an auto trail is  
least likely to disturb bird populations.  He urged nature lovers to  
visit the refuge often without fear of disturbing wildlife.

"It is very unlikely that an auto trail is going to disrupt the lives  
of the birds in the wildlife refuge," he said.  "Birds are very  
adaptable and become easily conditioned to cars and people around them  
unless there is an aggressive attack on them like shooting or throwing  
stones."

The speed limit along the auto trail is 15 miles per hour to keep  
disturbances at minimum.  That speed limit should keep drivers from  
hitting turtles and snakes that frequently cross the trail to get to  
the wetlands, according to Devries.

Officials at Michigan Travel, the state's tourism promotion agency,  
are upbeat that the new developments at the refuge will boost tourism  
in the entire state.

"When you make nature more accessible to travel, you will most likely  
have more people touring the areas," said Dave Lorenz, manager of  
industry and public relations at the agency.  "As long as we build  
that access and make people aware of it, they will want to visit the  
refuge."

Lorenz said that although Michigan has millions of acres of land for  
outdoor recreation, much of it has been accessible mostly to hikers  
and skiers.  He said he's confident that the trail will open doors for  
less physically active people who have an interest in nature and  
sightseeing.

Lorenz also said that it was imperative to have information about the  
auto trail and the opportunities it opens to tourists on Michigan.org,  
the state's official travel and tourism site.

"Michigan.org has been the most visited site in the country in the  
last three years," Lorenz said.  "Just last year, we had more than 13  
million visitors on the site and we're working on ways to increase  
these numbers."

Once the trail is open for public use, Michigan Travel intends to work  
closely with the local convention and visitors bureau on promotion  
efforts to market the refuge, Lorenzo said.

The director of tourism at the Saginaw Valley Convention and Visitors  
Bureau, Lori Amo, said that the auto trail will promote handicap  
accessibility and lure visitors who previously visited the refuge only  
during the once-a-year special openings for auto trailing.

She said that the bureau will work closely with its other partners to  
promote the refuge as a tourist destination.

And Lorenzo said that he is hopeful that the expected increase in  
visitors to the refuge will promote regional economic growth.

"The thing about tourism is that people spend even without intending  
to, especially if they enjoy the experience," said Lorenz.  "People  
have to use gas stations, restaurants, hotels for overnight stays and  
other tourism-related services.  It's called the cycle of tourism."=

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