Fish and Wildlife Chief Dies
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton died Feb. 20 after complaining of chest pains while skiing at a resort in Colorado. He was 54.
“Sam was a friend, a visionary, and a professional whose years of service and passionate dedication to his work have left an indelible mark on the lands and wildlife we cherish,” said Ken Salazar, secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, in an agency press release.
“His forward-thinking approach to conservation, including his view that we must think beyond boundaries at the landscape-scale, will continue to shape our nation's stewardship for years to come.”
Hamilton had served the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more than 30 years. He first became involved with the agency when he was 15 years old, as a member of the Youth Conservation Corps in Mississippi with the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge.
Hamilton was sworn in as agency director on September 1, becoming the 15th person to hold the position. He was previously the agency’s regional director of the 10-state Southeast region. He was charged with a $484 million budget and oversight over more than 350 threatened and endangered species and 128 national wildlife refuges.
He is survived by his wife Becky; sons Sam Jr. and Clay, as well as his grandson, Davis.