Former Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Brian Nesvik has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the next director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Nesvik spent much of his career with Game and Fish, spending 29 years with the department. He was also the former Wyoming Army National Guard brigadier general, serving in two deployments abroad during his 35 years with the Guard. His confirmation was met with celebration by many, yet others see the former game warden as a threat to the safety of wildlife.

In a 55-41 vote, the Senate confirmed Brian Nesvik to run the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. His nomination had been advanced in a narrow, party-line vote in April, but had languished for months. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) were the only two Democratic senators to join Republicans in a largely party-line vote. Leaders in Wyoming are ecstatic about the confirmation.

“Brian Nesvik is a breath of fresh air who will excel in his new role leading the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis said in a release. “As demonstrated during the confirmation process, Brian brings a proven and impressive track record from Wyoming, where he effectively collaborated with federal, state, and local partners to achieve important conservation goals. I was proud to support Brian and pleased that the Senate has confirmed him as the new Director of the USFWS.”

Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) had not offered statements as of the Tribune’s press deadline, though Barrasso called Nesvik “extremely qualified” in a March statement.

Gov. Mark Gordon showed his support for Nesvik calling him the most qualified candidate ever brought to the Senate for a vote.

“There simply has never been a more qualified director of the agency” Gordon said in a release, noting Nesvik will be a strong advocate for western issues. “His on-the-ground experience in Wyoming will lend essential oversight to the essential analysis of how federal policies apply to the day-to-day wildlife management within states. I am eager to continue working with Brian on Endangered Species Act reform, delisting of grizzly bears, and more.”

Nesvik’s replacement at Game and Fish Angi Bruce had high praise for her mentor.

“Brian’s much-anticipated confirmation is an exciting step forward for our agency. Game and Fish shares a strong partnership with USFWS. In Wyoming, we are tackling numerous complex wildlife challenges, and we are confident that Brian’s leadership will be instrumental in developing science-based solutions that deliver real progress,” Bruce said Monday.

Nesvik’s opposition

Those opposing Nesvik’s nomination were loud about their opposition from the moment he was chosen for the position by President Donald Trump shortly after Nesvik’s retirement from Game and Fish last October. Before the vote, a letter signed by 125 industry leaders and conservation groups asked senators to deny his confirmation.

“Mr. Nesvik’s extreme record on wildlife issues — many of which mirror the policies in Project 2025 — underscores how ideologically opposed he is to the Service’s fundamental mission,” the letter stated. “If confirmed, he will be in charge of overseeing approximately 9,000 Service employees who work to protect over 1,600 endangered species, countless wildlife and plants, and nearly 860 million acres of national wildlife refuges. Like other Trump appointees, Mr. Nesvik will almost certainly work to dismantle every aspect of the agency, and with it our best chance of fighting the biodiversity and extinction crises.”

State organizations such as Wyoming Untrapped and Wyoming Wildlife Advocates signed the letter, which also included signatures from large conservation groups like the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity.

“Nesvik is a yes-man who will rubber-stamp Trump’s anti-wildlife agenda, no questions asked. Instead of upholding the Fish and Wildlife Service’s mission of protecting endangered species, he’s going to clear the way for their demise, said Stephanie Kurose, deputy director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity.

Nesvik’s nomination brought attention to a controversial resume regarding protecting imperiled species. During his tenure as director of Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department, the state’s elk herds saw significant increases in disease rates, and he oversaw the implementation of questionable policies that would drive grizzly bear and wolf populations to bare minimum numbers, according to the Sierra Club Deputy Legislative Director for Wildlife and Lands Protection Bradley Williams.

“Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have put the ESA in their crosshairs, and Brian Nesvik is ready to take the shot. His tenure as head of Wyoming Game and Fish prioritized trophy hunts and weakened protections for imperiled species over scientifically sound wildlife management,” Williams said. “One of the USFWS most important roles is upholding the Endangered Species Act, and given his experience, it’s not clear whether Nesvik will be able to fulfill that duty. Unfortunately, it appears that wildlife will pay the price.”

Experience

Nesvik has been quiet during his confirmation process and has yet to make a statement about the end of the long process. However, in his letter to the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Nesvik said his leadership qualities would help move the agency forward in a positive direction.

“In my dual careers both as a wildlife manager and soldier, I earned the privilege to lead and embraced the responsibility that came with that honor. Ultimately, I served as my State’s Chief Game Warden and then its Game and Fish Director,” Nesvik wrote. “In my military career, I had the incredible opportunity to lead our nation’s best and brightest in a variety of roles including on two combat deployments. My military career culminated with my promotion to Brigadier General and the opportunity to command the Wyoming Army National Guard for almost four years. These experiences and opportunities starting in the field and working my way up have prepared me well to work complex, convoluted problems into decisive action in uncertain environments.”