A land commissioner or natural resources commissioner is a public official in the executive branch of a state or territory in the United States. While the duties of the position may vary, their general role is maintaining, protecting, and regulating public lands and natural resources; including state parks, forests, and recreation areas. Every state except Wyoming has a natural resources commissioner.
Five states – Arkansas, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington – elect land commissioners in partisan elections, with Arkansas, South Dakota, and New Mexico additionally dividing the duties between a partisan elected office and a nonpartisan appointed office. In all other states, the position is nonpartisan and appointed, usually by the governor.
The National Association of State Trust Lands is a nonprofit consortium of state land commissioners.
List of current land commissioners
As of October 2, 2024, the various land commissioners are:
| Office | Name | Elected/Appointed |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources | Christopher Blankenship | Appointed |
| Alaska Commissioner of Natural Resources | John Boyle | Appointed |
| Arizona Commissioner of Lands | Robyn Sahid | Appointed |
| Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands | Tommy Land | Elected |
| Arkansas Executive Director of Natural Resources Commission | Chris Colclasure | Appointed |
| California Secretary for Natural Resources | Wade Crowfoot | Appointed |
| Colorado Executive Director of Natural Resources | Dan Gibbs | Appointed |
| Connecticut Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection | Katie Scharf Dykes | Appointed |
| Delaware Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | Shawn Garvin | Appointed |
| Florida Secretary of Environmental Protection | Shawn Hamilton | Appointed |
| Georgia Commissioner of Natural Resources | Walter Rabon | Appointed |
| Hawaii Chairperson of Land and Natural Resources | Dawn N. S. Chang | Appointed |
| Idaho Director of Lands | Dustin Miller | Appointed |
| Illinois Director of Natural Resources | Natalie Phelps Finnie | Appointed |
| Indiana Director of Natural Resources | Dan Bortner | Appointed |
| Iowa Director of Natural Resources | Kayla Lyon | Appointed |
| Kansas Secretary of Wildlife and Parks | Chris Kennedy | Appointed |
| Kentucky Commissioner of Natural Resources | Gordon Slone | Appointed |
| Louisiana Secretary of Natural Resources | Tyler Gray | Appointed |
| Maine Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry | Amanda Beal | Appointed |
| Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources | Josh Kurtz | Appointed |
| Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs | Rebecca Tepper | Appointed |
| Michigan Director of Natural Resources | Scott Bowen | Appointed |
| Minnesota Commissioner of Natural Resources | Sarah Strommen | Appointed |
| Mississippi Executive Director of Environmental Quality | Chris Wells | Appointed |
| Missouri Director of Natural Resources | Dru Buntin | Appointed |
| Montana Director of Natural Resources and Conservation | Amanda Kaster | Appointed |
| Nebraska Director of Natural Resources | Vacant | Appointed |
| Nevada Director of Conservation and Natural Resources | James A. Settelmeyer | Appointed |
| New Hampshire Executive Director of Fish and Game | Vacant | Appointed |
| New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands | Stephanie Garcia Richard | Elected |
| New Mexico Secretary of Energy Minerals and Natural Resources | Melanie Kenderdine | Appointed |
| New York Commissioner of Environmental Conservation | Sean Mahar | Appointed |
| North Carolina Secretary of Environmental Quality | Elizabeth Biser | Appointed |
| Ohio Director of Natural Resources | Mary Mertz | Appointed |
| Oklahoma Director of Wildlife Conservation | Wade Free | Appointed |
| Pennsylvania Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources | Cindy Adams Dunn | Appointed |
| South Carolina Director of Natural Resources | Robert Boyles | Appointed |
| South Dakota Commissioner of School and Public Lands | Brock Greenfield | Elected |
| South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources | Hunter Roberts | Appointed |
| South Dakota Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources | Vacant | Appointed |
| Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation | David Salyers | Appointed |
| Texas Land Commissioner | Dawn Buckingham | Elected |
| Utah Director of Natural Resources | Joel Ferry | Appointed |
| Vermont Secretary of Natural Resources | Julie Moore | Appointed |
| Virginia Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources | Travis Voyles | Appointed |
| Washington Commissioner of Public Lands | Hilary Franz | Elected |
| West Virginia Director of Natural Resources | Brett McMillion | Appointed |
| Wisconsin Secretary of Natural Resources | Vacant | Appointed |
See also
- Bureau of Land Management, an agency within the United States Department of the Interior
- Department of Natural Resources (disambiguation)
- Public land, land held by central or local governments
References
- ^ "Natural Resources Commissioner (state executive office)". Ballotpedia. 2023-01-06. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- Hult, Karen M. (2020-03-01). "8 Sex, Gender, and Leadership in the Executive Branch". Madam President?. Lynne Rienner Publishers. pp. 141–166. doi:10.1515/9781685850982-010. ISBN 978-1-68585-098-2.
Every state except Wyoming has a natural resources commissioner, but only 4 states hold elections for these positions.
- Brown, Alex (2023-10-26). "Western states look to these lands for new affordable housing • Stateline". Stateline. Retrieved 2024-10-02.