Lummis Questions Biden Nominee to Lead U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service

Statement

U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Ranking Member of the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee, questioned Martha Williams during her nomination hearing to serve as President Biden's Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers the Endangered Species Act, which has the potential to impact species of great importance to the state, including grizzly bears, wolves, and sage grouse. The federal government has jurisdiction over more than 48 percent of land in Wyoming.

"I'm especially interested in Ms. Williams' nomination as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plays a large role in Wyoming's national parks, lands and ecosystems," Senator Lummis said. "It is important to have a director that understands and respects the use of public lands and prioritizes states having a leading role in managing land and wildlife. So far, the Biden administration has been hostile toward state management of wildlife within our borders. Considering her previous state-level work, I hope that Ms. Williams would provide a more state-friendly approach."

Williams is currently serving as Principal Deputy Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service and served as the Director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks from 2017 to 2020. Her appointment at the Fish and Wildlife Service is a return to the Department of the Interior, where she served earlier in her career as Deputy Solicitor for Parks and Wildlife, providing counsel to the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service.

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