Natural Resources Commissioner

The Natural 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.

Elected vs. appointed

48 states have a natural resources commissioner, with Wyoming and New Hampshire being the exceptions. The office is appointed either by the governor or a commission in 46 states, with elections for the position held in Texas and Washington.

Currently appointed

State	Official Title	Current Occupant	Assumed office	Appointing Governor
Alabama	Alabama Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources	N. Gunter Guy, Jr.	2010	Robert J. Bentley
Alaska	Alaska Commissioner of Natural Resources	Daniel S. Sullivan	2010	Sean Parnell
Arizona	Arizona Commissioner of Lands	Maria Baier	2009	Jan Brewer
Arkansas	Arkansas Executive Director of Natural Resources Commission	J. Randy Young	1985	Bill Clinton
California	California Secretary for Natural Resources	John Laird	2011	Jerry Brown
Colorado	Colorado Executive Director of Natural Resources	Mike King	2010	Bill Ritter
Connecticut	Connecticut Commissioner of Environmental Protection	Daniel Esty	2011	Dan Malloy
Delaware	Delaware Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control	Collin O'Mara	2009	Jack Markell
Florida	Florida Secretary of Environmental Protection	Herschel Vinyard	2011	Rick Scott
Georgia	Georgia Commissioner of Natural Resources	Mark Williams	2010	Sonny Perdue
Hawaii	Hawaii Chairperson of Land and Natural Resources	William Aila	2010	Neil Abercrombie
Idaho	Idaho Director of Lands	George Bacon	2007	Appointed by Board of Land Commissioners
Illinois	Illinois Director of Natural Resources	Marc Miller	2009	Pat Quinn
Indiana	Indiana Director of Natural Resources	Robert Carter, Jr.	2005	Mitch Daniels
Iowa	Iowa Director of Natural Resources	Roger Lande	2011	Terry E. Branstad
Kansas	Kansas Secretary of Wildlife and Parks	Robin Jennison	2011	Sam Brownback
Kentucky	Kentucky Commissioner of Natural Resources	Carl Campbell
Louisiana	Louisiana Secretary of Natural Resources	Scott Angelle	2004	Kathleen Blanco
Maine	Maine Commissioner of Conservation	Bill Beardsley	2011	Paul LePage
Maryland	Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources	John Griffin	2007	Martin O'Malley
Massachusetts	Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs	Richard Sullivan	2011	Deval Patrick
Michigan	Michigan Director of Natural Resources	Rodney Stokes	2011	Rick Snyder
Minnesota	Minnesota Commissioner of Natural Resources	Tom Landwehr	2011	Mark Dayton
Mississippi	Mississippi Executive Director of Environmental Quality	Trudy Fisher	2007	Haley Barbour
Missouri	Missouri Director of Natural Resources	Sara Parker Pauley	2011	Jay Nixon
Montana	Montana Director of Natural Resources and Conservation	Mary Sexton	2006	Brian Schweitzer
Nebraska	Nebraska Director of Natural Resources	Brian Dunnigan	2008	Dave Heineman
Nevada	Nevada Director of Conservation and Natural Resources	Leo Drozdoff	2010	Jim Gibbons
New Jersey	New Jersey Commissioner of Environmental Protection	Bob Martin	2010	Chris Christie
New Mexico	New Mexico Secretary of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources	John Bemis	2011	Susana Martinez
New York	New York Commissioner of Environmental Conservation	Joe Martens	2011	Andrew Cuomo
North Carolina	North Carolina Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources	Dee Freeman	2009	Beverly Perdue
North Dakota	North Dakota Director of Game and Fish	Terry Steinwand	2006	John Hoeven
Ohio	Ohio Director of Natural Resources	Scott Zody	2011	John Kasich
Oklahoma	Oklahoma Director of Wildlife Conservation	Richard Hatcher	2009	Brad Henry
Oregon	Oregon Director of Fish and Wildlife	Roy Elicker	2007
Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources	Richard Allan	2011	Tom Corbett
Rhode Island	Rhode Island Director of Environmental Management	Janet Coit	2011	Lincoln Chafee
South Carolina	South Carolina Director of Natural Resources	John Frampton
South Dakota	South Dakota Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources	Steven Pirner	2000	William Janklow
Tennessee	Tennessee Commissioner of Environment and Conservation	Robert Martineau	2011	Bill Haslam
Utah	Utah Director of Natural Resources	Mike Styler	2006	Jon Huntsman
Vermont	Vermont Secretary of Natural Resources	Deb Markowitz	2010	Peter Shumlin
Virginia	Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources	Doug Domenech	2010	Bob McDonnell
West Virginia	West Virginia Director of Natural Resources	Frank Jezioro
Wisconsin	Wisconsin Secretary of Natural Resources	Cathy Stepp	2011	Scott Walker

Currently elected

State	Official Title	Current Occupant	Party	Assumed office	Term ends
Texas	Texas Commissioner of General Land Office	Jerry Patterson	Republican	2003	2015
Washington	Washington Commissioner of Public Lands	Peter Goldmark	Democratic	2009	2013