TPL Endorses Sam Hamilton Nomination for USFWS Director

WASHINGTON, D.C. 6/18/2009: Alan Front, Senior Vice President of The Trust for Public Land (TPL), today issued the following statement on the nomination of Sam Hamilton to be the next Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“The Trust for Public Land praises today’s announcement of President Barack Obama’s choice for the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As Southeast Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, TPL has worked with Sam Hamilton and his staff on numerous land conservation efforts throughout the region including protecting and restoring land at Tensas National Wildlife Refuge,” Front said.

“As a conservation leader, Sam Hamilton has always appreciated the importance of working in partnership to protect natural resource lands to benefit the public. We are grateful for his long-standing commitment to protect valuable habitat and wildlife at the 128 National Wildlife Refuges he currently oversees and know he will bring his experience, innovation, and leadership to the whole refuge system,” he said.

The Trust for Public Land, established in 1972, specializes in conservation real estate, applying its expertise in negotiations, public finance, and law to protect land for people to enjoy as parks, greenways, community gardens, urban playgrounds, and wilderness. With funding from a variety of federal programs, including the LWCF, state and local open-space funds, and other public and private investments, TPL has helped to protect more than 2.5 million acres across the country.