Gov. Cox names state Rep. Joel Ferry as director of Natural Resources

Former state representative Joel Ferry has won another round in the ongoing court fight over his candidacy in House District 1. On Sept. 22, the Utah Supreme Court denied a request from the Utah Democratic Party for an emergency ruling to remove Ferry from the District 1 ballot in the upcoming November 8 election.

SALT LAKE CITY – Gov. Spencer Cox has announced that state Rep. Joel Ferry will joining his administration as executive director of the Department of Natural Resources.

“From water conservation to air quality to public lands, Joel has been an effective voice for wise stewardship of the rich natural resources of our state,” Gov. Cox said. “His legislative experience as well as his foundation as a farmer and rancher will help shape our vision around natural resources.

“I’m grateful that he’s willing to take on this new challenge,” the governor added.

Ferry has represented District 1 in the Utah House of Representatives since 2019. That district includes the Cache County communities of Clarkston, Cornish and Newton as well as significant portions of Box Elder County.

He currently serves as the chairman of the House Business and Labor Committee and the Legislative Water Development Commission.

Ferry is also a member of the Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee; the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee; the Medical Cannabis Governance Structure Working Group; and the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee.

Ferry operates a ranch, farm, feedlot and hunting properties in Corinne.

Ferry has been the recipient of the Top Young Farmer and Rancher Award from the Utah Farm Bureau (2013); Conservationist of the Year from the Intermountain West Joint Venture (2018); the Leopold Conservation Award (2019); and the Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (2021).

In the realm of public service, Ferry has served as chairman of the Box Elder County Republican Party; the Box Elder Farm Bureau; and the Willard Peak Chapter of Delta Waterfowl.

He has also been a member of the Friends of the Bear River Bird Refuge and the Northern Regional Advisory Council for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

Ferry has a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from Utah State University.

His appointment as director of the Department of Natural Resources is subject to approval from the Utah Senate.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

I agree to these terms.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.