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Natural Resources Commissioner (state executive office)

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Thenatural resources commissioner is a state-level position. The duties of the position vary from state to state, but their general role is maintaining, protecting, and regulating natural resources; including state parks, forests, and recreation areas.

HIGHLIGHTS

Wyoming does not have a natural resource commissioner. The state's natural resources are overseen by divisions within the statewide agriculture agency.

In Arkansas, New Mexico, and South Dakota, two offices share responsibilities for natural resources management: a nonpartisan office appointed by the governor and a partisan office filled via election.

Five states—Arkansas, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington—publicly elect a natural resources commissioner. In all other states, the office is nonpartisan and appointed.^[1]

Salary range (2023): $100,000 (West Virginia) - $241,508 (Utah)

Current officeholders

List of current natural resource commissioners

Office	Name	Party	Date assumed office
Alabama Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources	Christopher Blankenship	Nonpartisan	2017
Alaska Commissioner of Natural Resources	John Crowther	Nonpartisan	October 24, 2025
Arizona Commissioner of Lands	Robyn Sahid	Nonpartisan	January 23, 2023
Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands	Tommy Land	Republican	January 15, 2019
Arkansas Executive Director of Natural Resources Commission	Chris Colclasure	Nonpartisan	September 1, 2021
California Secretary for Natural Resources	Wade Crowfoot	Nonpartisan	2019
Colorado Executive Director of Natural Resources	Dan Gibbs	Nonpartisan	2019
Connecticut Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection	Katie Scharf Dykes	Nonpartisan	2018
Delaware Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control	Greg Patterson	Nonpartisan	2025
Florida Secretary of Environmental Protection	Shawn Hamilton	Nonpartisan	June 4, 2021
Georgia Commissioner of Natural Resources	Walter Rabon	Nonpartisan	August 22, 2023
Hawaii Chairperson of Land and Natural Resources	Dawn N. S. Chang	Nonpartisan	January 1, 2023
Idaho Director of Lands	Dustin Miller	Nonpartisan	2018
Illinois Director of Natural Resources	Natalie Phelps Finnie	Nonpartisan	March 22, 2024
Indiana Director of Natural Resources	Alan Morrison	Nonpartisan	January 17, 2025
Iowa Director of Natural Resources	Kayla Lyon	Nonpartisan	July 8, 2019
Kansas Secretary of Wildlife and Parks	Chris Kennedy	Nonpartisan	March 18, 2024
Kentucky Commissioner of Natural Resources	Gordon Slone	Nonpartisan	2020
Louisiana Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources	Dustin Davidson	Nonpartisan	September 2, 2025
Maine Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry	Amanda Beal	Nonpartisan	2019
Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources	Josh Kurtz	Nonpartisan	February 14, 2023
Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs	Rebecca Tepper	Nonpartisan	January 5, 2023
Michigan Director of Natural Resources	Scott Bowen	Nonpartisan	September 5, 2023
Minnesota Commissioner of Natural Resources	Sarah Strommen	Nonpartisan	2019
Mississippi Executive Director of Environmental Quality	Chris Wells	Nonpartisan	October 20, 2020
Missouri Director of Natural Resources	Kurt Schaefer	Nonpartisan	January 13, 2025
Montana Director of Natural Resources and Conservation	Amanda Kaster	Nonpartisan	January 4, 2021
Nebraska Director of Natural Resources	Jesse Bradley	Nonpartisan	August 5, 2024
Nevada Director of Conservation and Natural Resources	James A. Settelmeyer	Nonpartisan	January 6, 2023
New Hampshire Executive Director of Fish and Game	Stephanie Lynn Simek	Nonpartisan	September 30, 2024
New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands	Stephanie Garcia Richard	Democratic	January 1, 2019
New Mexico Secretary of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources	Melanie Kenderdine	Nonpartisan	May 8, 2024
New York Commissioner of Environmental Conservation	Amanda Lefton	Nonpartisan	June 2, 2025
North Carolina Secretary of Environmental Quality	Mary Penny Kelley	Nonpartisan	September 17, 2024
Ohio Director of Natural Resources	Mary Mertz	Nonpartisan	December 5, 2018
Oklahoma Director of Wildlife Conservation	Wade Free	Nonpartisan	December 7, 2023
Pennsylvania Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources	Cindy Adams Dunn	Nonpartisan	January 20, 2015
South Carolina Director of Natural Resources	Thomas Mullikin	Nonpartisan	2025
South Dakota Commissioner of School and Public Lands	Brock Greenfield	Republican	January 2, 2023
South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources	Hunter Roberts	Nonpartisan	April 19, 2021
Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation	David Salyers	Nonpartisan	January 23, 2019
Texas Land Commissioner	Dawn Buckingham	Republican	January 1, 2023
Utah Director of Natural Resources	Joel Ferry	Nonpartisan	July 5, 2022
Vermont Secretary of Natural Resources	Julie Moore	Nonpartisan	January 5, 2017
Virginia Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources	Stefanie Taillon	Nonpartisan	March 26, 2025
Washington Commissioner of Public Lands	Dave Upthegrove	Democratic	January 13, 2025
West Virginia Director of Natural Resources	Brett McMillion	Nonpartisan	March 9, 2022
Wisconsin Secretary of Natural Resources	Karen Hyun	Nonpartisan	January 27, 2025

Comparison across states

Method of selection

Partisan affiliation

Compensation

Vacancy fill methods

All states exceptWyoming have a natural resources commissioner who is charged with oversight of the state's natural resources. In 44 states, the natural resources commissioner is a nonpartisan appointee. In 38 of those states, the governor is responsible for appointing the natural resources commissioner, while in the other six some other official or commission holds the power of appointment. InTexas andWashington, the natural resources commissioner is a partisan official who is elected in statewide elections.Arkansas,South Dakota, andNew Mexico divide the duties that would fall under the office of natural resource commissioner in other states between two offices; a nonpartisan office appointed by the governor and a partisan office filled via election.

The majority of natural resource commissioner offices are officially nonpartisan; however, natural resource commissioners are selected in partisan elections in five states. Of the five natural resource commissioners with partisan affiliations, 3 areRepublicans and 2 areDemocrats. In three states with elected natural resource commissioners, some of the office's responsibilities are held by a second nonpartisan natural resource commissioner appointed by the governor.

According to compensation figures for 2023 compiled by the Council of State Governments in theBook of the States, the largest salary for a natural resources commissioner was $241,508 inUtah, while the lowest was $100,000 inWest Virginia. Salary information was not available for the natural resources commissioner inNorth Dakota. To view the compensation of a specific natural resources commissioner, hover your mouse cursor over the state.

Election history

2025

See also:State executive official elections, 2025

No state held elections for natural resources commissioner in 2025.

2024

See also:State executive official elections, 2024

One state held an election for natural resources commissioner in 2024:

Washington

2023

See also:State executive official elections, 2023

No state held elections for natural resources commissioner in 2023.

2022

See also:State executive official elections, 2022

Four states held elections for natural resources commissioner in 2022.

Click here for a list of past elections (click to expand)

2021

See also:State executive official elections, 2021

No state held elections for natural resources commissioner in 2021.

2020

See also:State executive official elections, 2020

One state held an election for natural resources commissioner in 2020:

Washington

2018

See also:State executive official elections, 2018

Four states held elections for natural resources commissioner in 2018.

2016

One stateheld natural resources commissioner elections in2016:

Washington

2015

No commissioner elections were scheduled for the 2015 electoral cycle.

2014

Four states held natural resource commissioner elections in 2014.

Arkansas

See also:Arkansas down ballot state executive elections, 2014#Commissioner of State Lands

Incumbent commissionerJohn Thurston (R) won re-election to a second term in 2014, defeating challengersMark Robertson (D) andElvis D. Presley (L) by a 20.6 percent margin.

New Mexico

See also:New Mexico down ballot state executive elections, 2014#Public Lands Commissioner

Incumbent commissionerRay Powell (D) sought re-election to a fourth term in 2014 and was defeated by challengerAubrey Dunn (R) by a 0.2 percent margin.

South Dakota

See also:South Dakota down ballot state executive elections, 2014#Commissioner of School and Public Lands

Ryan Brunner (R) defeatedJohn English (L) in the open seat election by a 53 percent margin.

Texas

See also:Texas down ballot state executive elections, 2014#Land Commissioner

George P. Bush (R) defeatedDavid Watts (R) in the primary election, going on to defeatJohn Cook (D),Justin Knight (L), andValerie Alessi (G) in the general election by a 25.4 percent margin.

2013

There were no commissioner elections in 2013.

2012

One state held scheduled natural resources commissioner elections in the 2012 electoral cycle:Washington.

IncumbentPeter Goldmark (D) won re-election on November 6, 2012.

Footnotes

↑In Arkansas, New Mexico, and South Dakota, two offices share responsibilities for natural resource management. In each state, the commissioner of one of those agencies is elected while the other is appointed.

v • e Natural Resources Commissioners

Elected (by voters)	Texas •Washington

Appointed (by gov.)	Alabama •Alaska •Arizona •Arkansas •California •Colorado •Connecticut •Delaware •Florida •Georgia •Hawaii •Idaho •Illinois •Indiana •Iowa •Kansas •Kentucky •Louisiana •Maine •Maryland •Massachusetts •Michigan •Minnesota •Mississippi •Missouri •Montana •Nebraska •Nevada •New Hampshire •New Jersey •New Mexico •New York •North Carolina •North Dakota •Ohio •Oklahoma •Oregon •Pennsylvania •Rhode Island •South Carolina •South Dakota •Tennessee •Utah •Vermont •Virginia •West Virginia •Wisconsin

Elections	2025 •2024 •2023 •2022 •2021 •2020 •2019 •2018 •2017 •2016 •2015 •2014 •2013 •2012 •2011 •2010

Other	State executive offices •Chart of state executive officers •News

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Natural Resources Commissioner (state executive office)

Contents

Current officeholders

List of current natural resource commissioners

Comparison across states

Election history

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2018

2016

2015

2014

Arkansas

New Mexico

South Dakota

Texas

2013

2012

See also

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

Election analysis

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