FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 14, 2025 

Contact: 

Kaden McArthur, Government Relations Manager, [email protected]

As the Trump administration announces new leadership for the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, BHA underscores the critical role these agencies play 

Washington, D.C.—Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), North America’s leading public lands advocacy group, is closely tracking the nominations that will shape the future of agencies tasked with managing our nation’s public lands and wildlife. The nomination of Brian Nesvik to head the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Kathleen Sgamma to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are the latest of these announcements with vast implications for hunters and anglers across the United States. BHA remains committed to advocating for balanced, science-based stewardship of our shared natural resources and ensuring that these agencies uphold their mandates to serve all Americans—not just private interests. 

USFWS Director Nominee: Brian Nesvik 

“The nomination of Brian Nesvik to head the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service indicates that the agency continues to prioritize the interests of hunters and anglers as Nesvik is a sportsman himself and someone with a wealth of experience managing wildlife,” said Patrick Berry, BHA President and CEO. “We look forward to working alongside the USFWS to promote science-driven decisions for our nation’s wildlife resources, and to protect and expand opportunities for hunters and anglers. Key among these priorities is the conservation of big game migration corridors, which Nesvik has shown significant leadership on during his time with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.” 

Nesvik most recently served as the Director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the pinnacle of a career with the state agency that began in 1995. 

The mission of the USFWS is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. 

 BLM Director Nominee: Kathleen Sgamma 

“As our nation’s largest public lands agency, the BLM is responsible for managing significant fish and wildlife habitat resources enjoyed by hunters and anglers,” Berry continued. “Kathleen Sgamma has spent decades representing the oil and gas industry in the pursuit of increasing development on public lands and will have to expand her view of the value of public lands to fulfill the mission of the agency she will be tasked with directing. In overseeing the BLM, Sgamma must also prioritize the interests of Americans who value recreational opportunities and the conservation of our natural resources, not just private industry focused on mining and energy development.” 

Sgamma is the President of the Western Energy Alliance, where she has been employed since 2006. She is a contributor to Project 2025, which includes recommendations for the BLM that would prioritize industry at the expense of public land conservation. 

The BLM's mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. 

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife. To learn more about issues important to BHA’s membership, visit www.backcountryhunters.org/our_issues.