Paul Santavy has been appointed the manager for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Maine Fisheries Program Complex in East Orland, which oversees the Craig Brook and Green Lake National Fish Hatcheries and the Maine Fishery Resources Office.

In his three years with the USFWS, Santavy has served as a project leader at the Green Lake National Fish Hatchery in Ellsworth and as acting project leader at the Maine Fishery Resource Office in East Orland.

Santavy’s new duties will continue his current work leading a conservation hatchery program that contributes more than 70 percent of all sea-run Atlantic salmon returns to the U.S. annually.

In addition, Santavy’s responsibilities will include providing USFWS leadership, policy coordination and technical expertise within a multi-agency framework for recovering Atlantic salmon in Maine and other inter-jurisdictional fisheries in the Gulf of Maine.

Prior to coming to the USFWS, Santavy worked with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation in Alaska, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Santavy serves on the board of directors and the land stewardship committee of the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust, which owns more than 4,300 acres of land in Maine and provides conservation land trust services on small tracts of land with a high conservation value. He is also a member of the American Fisheries Society, Wildlife Society, Ducks Unlimited and the Bucks Mills Rod and Gun Club.

Originally from Michigan, Santavy grew up on his family’s farm, where he developed an interest in nature, conservation, land management, hunting and fishing. He earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology and fisheries management from Michigan State University.

Dick’s hosting event

Dick’s Sporting Goods will hold a unique hands-on event for hunting enthusiasts at its Bangor Mall store today, as the Outdoor Adventure Hunting Tour makes a stop.

Customers will enjoy a large-scale parking lot event featuring the latest in hunting and outdoor gear.

A specially customized 53-foot tractor trailer will anchor the 10,000-square-foot venue and will feature interactive events such as a mobile archery range, virtual shooting and airgun shooting lanes.

Whitetail deer expert Mike Wheeler will exhibit his impressive display of 15 buck mounts, while Brian Brawdy, an outdoor adventure expert who has been featured on national TV, will share his expertise on the outdoors.

To submit an item for publication in the Outdoor Notebook, send e-mail to jholyoke@bangordailynews.net, fax to 990-8092 or mail information to Outdoor Notebook, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329.