Logan native named to top post of Utah Department of Natural Resources

Brian Steed the Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive director of the Northern Utah Interagency Fire Center. wants the public to be cautious outdoors.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert has appointed Logan native Brian Steed as the executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Steed has been serving as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s deputy director for policy and programs since October 2017, and as the acting director of BLM because a permanent leader has not been approved by Congress.

“Brian is not only qualified for this position, he is also passionate about implementing best management practices for Utah’s natural resources,” said Gov. Herbert in a statement. “His commitment to sound environmental policy will be an integral part of his service in this new role, and I look forward to working with him.”

Steed received his bachelor’s degree from Utah State University in Political Science in 1997. He continued his education at USU to get a master’s degree in Political Science in 1999. While a student at USU, Steed completed an internship with U.S. Senator Bob Bennett in 1995 and later served as the campaign chairman of Rep. Chris Stewart’s inaugural term in Congress in 2012. He served as Congressman Stewart’s chief of staff until being appointed by President Donald Trump to serve in the BLM.

“I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to join Gov. Herbert’s cabinet,” Steed said in a statement. “Without question, Utah has some of the nation’s most incredible natural resources. I look forward to working with the talented DNR staff in continuing to wisely steward Utah’s land, wildlife, and water.”

Steed also earned a J.D. from the S. J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah and holds a PhD in public policy from Indiana University Bloomington. Steed has also served as the deputy attorney for Iron County, previously.

Steed’s appointment must be confirmed by the Utah Senate. He is scheduled to begin his duties on June 1st after the retirement of Mike Styler. The Utah Department of Natural Resources oversees state parks, animal resources including hunting and fishing permits, the state’s water resources and coal and oil development.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

1 Comment

  • M G Durrant May 2, 2019 at 11:27 pm Reply

    What are his qualifications to be over the DNR? Two degrees in political science, a law degree, and a PhD in public policy aren’t exactly qualifications for heading up the Division of Natural Resources.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

I agree to these terms.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.