Contacts:
- Chris Wood, Trout Unlimited President and CEO, chris.wood@tu.org
- Drew YoungeDyke, National Communications Director, drew.youngedyke@tu.org
Arlington, VA – The U.S. Department of Interior announced today that Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau is stepping down at the end of the month after a combined 10 years at the agency, including the last two as deputy secretary, where he oversaw initiatives including protecting over 13 million acres of public land in Alaska, oil and gas reforms, protections around the Boundary Waters, a deal to protect the Colorado River supply, and administering billions in infrastructure funding.
“Tommy is the epitome of a public servant,” said Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “He will be deeply missed.”
Beaudreau led the Dept. of Interior’s recent announcement of protections for 13 million acres within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, oil and gas reforms, withdrawing mineral leases from over 225,000 acres of the Superior National Forest within the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area at the beginning of this year, an initiative to protect the sources of the Colorado River through management of Lake Powell and Lake Mead, and the administration of funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021, including a $40 million agreement with Trout Unlimited and the U.S. Forest Service for watershed restoration work in U.S. National Forests.
“Tommy Beaudreau has been a stalwart in protecting public lands,” said Lindsay Slater, vice president for government affairs at Trout Unlimited.
Beaudreau, an energy lawyer, served at the U.S. Department of Interior for a combined 10 years in both the Obama and Biden administrations.
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Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to caring for and recovering America’s rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. Across the country, TU brings to bear local, regional and national grassroots organizing, durable partnerships, science-backed policy muscle, and legal firepower on behalf of trout and salmon fisheries, healthy waters and vibrant communities.