“Nesvik has a track record of favoring industries over wildlife. Ranching and agriculture and extracted industries get all the concessions here in Wyoming,” said Kristin Combs, Executive Director of Wyoming Wildlife Advocates. “There’s no reason to think that it would be any different at the federal level.”
“Rather than ensuring the survival of America’s most at-risk wildlife, Nesvik’s history suggests he will do the opposite—greenlighting more destruction, more killing, and more habitat loss,” said Joanna Zhang, endangered species advocate at WildEarth Guardians.
“WildEarth Guardians and our allies will fight every step of the way to hold this administration accountable and protect our nation’s wildlife from this disastrous leadership.”
“Nesvik’s lackadaisical response to the tormenting of that young Wyoming wolf speaks volumes about his lack of care for wildlife,” said Stephanie Kurose, Center for Biological Diversity Deputy Director of Government Affairs. “But his larger record truly underscores how deeply he despises the Fish and Wildlife Service’s fundamental mission. Most Americans want our imperiled wildlife protected, but we can’t count on Nesvik to lift a finger to prevent extinction.”
“Nesvik’s tenure as head of Wyoming Game and Fish prioritized trophy hunts and weakened protections for imperiled species over scientifically sound wildlife management,” said Bradley Williams, Sierra Club’s Deputy Legislative Director for Wildlife and Lands Protection. “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.”
“California’s national wildlife refuges are a cornerstone of Latino communities’ access to nature and biodiversity,” said Pedro Hernandez, California State Program Manager for GreenLatinos. “Our refuge system and successful Endangered Species Act implementation have supported California as a global biodiversity hotspot. Yet, Brian Nesvik’s nomination risks years of progress and his track record threatens to roll back the clock to a time when our refuge system was even more under-resourced and dominated by extractive interests. Our communities can’t afford leadership that deprioritizes science, equity, species protections and ecological integrity.”
“Brian Nesvik has repeatedly used state power to undermine the very laws he’s now charged with upholding. His confirmation as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a gift to extractive industries and a threat to imperiled species across the West,” said Josh Osher, Public Policy Director for Western Watersheds Project. “From sanctioning wolf slaughter to promoting unsustainable livestock grazing on public lands, Nesvik has consistently prioritized industry profits over ecological integrity. We need leadership rooted in science and recovery — not someone who treats the Endangered Species Act as an obstacle to be dismantled.”
