WYOMING — Former Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) Director Brian Nesvik was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on Friday, August 1.
Nesvik was nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the agency in February. According to a statement by Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, Nesvik retired from WGFD in 2024, where he served for over 29 years, including as the director from 2019 to 2024.
“Brian will play a critical role in conserving our natural resources,” Barrasso said in his statement. “He will take the reins at a time when politics – not science – has too often driven agency decisions. I look forward to working with Brian to restore science to conservation policies.”
The USFWS website states that it is the only agency in the federal government whose “primary responsibility is to manage fish and wildlife resources in the public trust for people today and future generations.”
“[Nesvik] brings decades of wildlife expertise, a collaborative approach to addressing complex issues and exemplary leadership to the role,” Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon wrote in a congratulatory statement. “I am eager to continue working with Brian on Endangered Species Act reform, delisting of grizzly bears and more.”
Nesvik, who was also a Wyoming Army National Guard member until his retirement in 2021, told the Powell Tribune last year that he enjoys interacting with hunters, fishermen, outfitters, landowners and the people of Wyoming. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Management from the University of Wyoming.
