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The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) joins other national conservation groups in expressing its deepest sympathy over the passing of Sam D. Hamilton, the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).  Hamilton died on February 20 after having chest pains while skiing in Colorado.

“Sam was a hunter and outdoorsman and that helped him bring common sense to an agency with huge responsibility over our natural resources,” said Bill Horn, USSA director of federal affairs.  “This is a significant loss for the agency and for sportsmen nationwide.  Our thoughts are with his family in this trying time.”

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar stated, “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.”

Click Here to read the full statement by Secretary Salazar on Hamilton’s passing.

Hamilton was sworn in on September 1, 2009 as the fifteenth director of FWS.  He had spent 30 years working with the agency and was appointed by President Obama to serve as Director after spending over a decade as the Southeast Regional Director for the Service.

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