December 12, 2019 (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Earlier today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Ms. Aurelia Skipwith to serve as the next Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a bipartisan vote.
In advance of today’s vote, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) and 27 other sporting-conservation organizations sent a letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee urging the Committee to swiftly advance Skipwith’s nomination to the floor for further consideration. CSF also sent an alert to Members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) urging them to support America’s sportsmen and women by voting favorably to confirm Ms. Skipwith.
Before being confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Skipwith served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks at the Department of the Interior where she was responsible for overseeing the management of the lands and waters within the National Park Service and the National Wildlife Refuge System, many of which provide critical recreation access for sportsmen and women. The Refuge System alone accommodates over 2.4 million hunting-related visits and 7.3 million fishing visits annually. In her previous role, she prioritized public access for hunting and fishing by expanding opportunities within the Refuge System and played a critical role in efforts to establish new Refuges such as the Green River National Wildlife Refuge in Kentucky, among others.
“The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation applauds the nomination and confirmation of Ms. Aurelia Skipwith to serve as the next Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” said CSF President Jeff Crane. “We look forward to working with her to further advance sound fish and wildlife policy and to increase public access for sportsmen and women.”
Since 1989, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has maintained a singleness of purpose that has guided the organization to become the most respected and trusted sportsmen’s organization in the political arena. CSF’s mission is to work with Congress, governors, and state legislatures to protect and advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping. The unique and collective force of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC), the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC) and the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC), working closely with CSF, and with the support of major hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping organizations, serves as an unprecedented network of pro-sportsmen elected officials that advance the interests of America’s hunters and anglers.
