Why It Matters: The Department of the Interior (DOI) is a critical federal department for sportsmen and women by serving as a significant facilitator of access and overseeing a wide array of conservation programs. Specifically, the roles of DOI Deputy Secretary and Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are critical positions that oversee and manage many of the programs of importance to sportsmen and women.
Highlights:
- Last week, Mr. Brian Nesvik received a confirmation hearing within the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to serve as the next Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- Later this week, Ms. Katharine MacGregor will begin her confirmation process to serve as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior.
- Both nominees are strongly supported by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) given their longstanding support for sportsmen and women and access, and as such, CSF organized community-wide letters to express support for the nominees prior to their hearings.
Later this week, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a confirmation hearing to consider the nomination of Ms. Katharine MacGregor to serve as the Deputy Secretary of the Interior.
Ms. MacGregor previously served as the Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 2019 – 2021, and prior to that, she worked in various capacities at DOI, including as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. Before her tenure at DOI, Ms. MacGregor worked on Capitol Hill for roughly a decade on the House Natural Resources Committees in key positions at the senior staff level. During her time at DOI and in Congress, Ms. MacGregor has demonstrated her willingness to have meaningful conversations and work through the most pressing issues facing sportsmen and women and natural resources across the country.
One week prior to Ms. MacGregor’s hearing, on Wednesday, March 26, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of Mr. Brian Nesvik to serve as the next Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ms. MacGregor and Mr. Nesvik bring a wealth of experience to the table, and CSF strongly supports the nominations of both individuals to serve in their respective posts.
Most recently, Mr. Nesvik served as the Director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WYGFD) prior to his retirement in September 2024, an agency that he spent 29 years with. During his time with WYGFD, Mr. Nesvik worked through complex policy and conservation challenges in a collaborative manner with key stakeholders such as sportsmen and women, landowners, among others. Furthermore, Mr. Nesvik is a retired Brigadier General in the Wyoming Army National Guard, a rank that demonstrates his strong leadership abilities. Mr. Nesvik maintains a background in scientific wildlife management in both education and trade, which will position him to effectively lead the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
CSF congratulates both Ms. MacGregor and Mr. Nesvik for their nominations and looks forward to working with both nominees if confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
