SAGINAW (AP) -- The Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge will spend $2 million to improve a 7½-mile auto tour through the heart of the federally protected nature preserve.
Refuge manager Steven Kahl says existing trails enable visitors to reach only the edges of the nearly 9,500-acre preserve just south of Saginaw.
Kahl tells the Saginaw News the improved road with observation decks will give people a better idea of what makes the refuge special.
Officials hope the changes will attract more visitors and tourism dollars to the area.
The refuge attracted 60,000 visitors in 2006, and it's believed the new drive could add another 30,000.
The trip takes motorists through marsh and crop lands, near open water, forests and along the Shiawassee River.
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