President Donald Trump nominated Aurelia Skipwith—biologist, lawyer, former Monsanto executive, and current deputy assistant Interior secretary for fish, wildlife and parks—to head the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
According to the Associated Press, the position has been without a Senate-confirmed director since Trump took office, and Greg Sheehan—who served as deputy director of the agency and was thereby its highest acting official—stepped down in August.
Ethan Lane, Executive Director of the Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Federal Lands, praised the nomination. “During [Skipwith’s] time as the deputy assistant secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks she has proven herself to be an open-minded and thoughtful leader on the most critical issues facing the department. I have no doubt she will bring that same enthusiasm to the Fish and Wildlife Service.”
Several environmental groups have decried the nomination, pointing to Skipwith’s Monsanto connection as out of synch with the USFWS’ purpose, as well as recent actions taken by the agency that the groups interpret as attempts at weakening the Endangered Species Act.
