Former Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Director Martha Williams has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Williams was confirmed by voice vote Thursday night before the Senate adjourned. In January, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public works approved her nomination as director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a 16-4 vote.
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.)and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.)both have voiced their support for Williams after she was nominated by President Biden in October.
She has been serving as principal deputy director for USFWS since January of 2020.
Williams was appointed to head FWP by former Gov. Steve Bullock and served as director from 2017-2020. She was the first woman to head the department.
Prior to heading FWP, she taught at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana, working for a time as a solicitor at the Department of Interior, and was a lawyer at FWP from 1998 to 2011.
USFWS is within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats.
