SALT LAKE CITY-The Utah Department of Natural Resources is looking for four individuals to serve on the Utah Wildlife Board.
Board members make the final decisions about hunting, fishing and how wildlife is managed in Utah. There are currently four positions available, and members of the public who have an interest in wildlife are encouraged to apply.
The four positions have a four-year term on the board and their duties will begin in August 2025.
Randy Dearth, the current chairperson of the board, Wade Heaton, Bret Selman and Bryce Thurgood all need to be replaced. Governor Spencer Cox appoints members to the seven-person board. Any residents of Utah can submit an application for consideration.
“To serve on the board, you need to have a strong interest in wildlife and wildlife management in Utah,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Wildlife Board Coordinator Staci Coons said. “You also need to be committed to serving and representing the people of Utah.”
The DWR has divided Utah into five regions. State law requires that every region has at least one representative on the board. The open positions are for the following areas:
- Someone living in the Northeastern Region.
- Someone living in the Northern Region.
- Two of the open positions can be filled by anyone living in any region.
The regional boundaries on the DWR website.
Three of the board members the governor appoints will serve for one six-year term. The board member, replacing Bryce Thurgood will serve for eight years (completing the remaining two years of Thurgood’s term and then serving a full six-year term).
The application period for the open wildlife board positions will be accepted until March 31 at 5 p.m. The fourth position did not open until March 4, and applicants from the Northern Region who already applied for one of the open positions may be considered for the eight-year term and do not need to reapply specifically for the Northern Region position.
A college degree is not required, any organizations or associations they have been a member of for the previous five years should be listed.
Board members are encouraged to attend the public Wildlife Regional Advisory Council meetings in their respective regions and six public wildlife board meetings in Farmington each year. The positions are unpaid, and members of the board do not become employees of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The Utah Wildlife Board Nominating Committee is an 11-member committee appointed by the governor. They will review the applications and select candidates to interview. The committee will forward its recommendations to the governor.
To learn more about the Utah Wildlife Board and the Wildlife Regional Advisory Council, visit the DWR website.