EDGEFIELD, S.C.—The NWTF applauds the U.S. Senate for confirming Martha Williams as the 26th director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Williams, an avid hunter and angler, has served as the principal deputy director of the Fish and Wildlife Service since January 2021 and has performed all of the duties of the director during that time.
Preceding her last appointment, she served as the director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks from 2017-20, overseeing the state’s diverse fish and wildlife populations and public lands while balancing recreational and resource management needs of the state. She also is a veteran of the Department of the Interior, having served as deputy solicitor of Parks and Wildlife for two years, providing counsel to the National Park Service and the FWS.
Williams is uniquely capable to run the FWS, having diverse experiences and valuable multi-agency perspectives of wildlife and natural resource management. She also is skilled at balancing the needs of multiple stakeholder and user groups while understanding the legal implications of regulatory changes and implementation.
Her experience ensures the nation’s rich fish and wildlife resources and our National Wildlife Refuge System are properly managed for the enjoyment of anglers, hunters and many other outdoor recreationists.
“We are pleased that Martha’s confirmation was swift following her nomination to the post in late October,” NWTF CEO Becky Humphries said. “The NWTF is poised to continue our longstanding relationship with the Fish and Wildlife Service, and we look forward to expanding opportunities under her leadership.”
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
When the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded in 1973, there were about 1.3 million wild turkeys in North America. After decades of work, that number hit a historic high of almost 7 million turkeys. To succeed, the NWTF stood behind science-based conservation and hunters’ rights. Today, the NWTF is focused on the future of hunting and conservation through its Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative. Since 2012, this 10-year initiative has already eclipsed goals of conserving or enhancing more than 4 million acres of essential wildlife habitat, recruiting or retaining more than 1.5 million hunters and opening access to more than 500,000 acres for hunting and other recreation opportunities. This critical work will continue to impact wildlife habitat and our great outdoors in the final years of the initiative.
