Cox names new natural resources director as department undergoes shakeup

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Utah Gov. Spencer Cox appointed Jamie Barnes as the state's natural resources director.
• Barnes, the state forester, will replace Joel Ferry on Aug. 31.
• Ferry's tenure included major funding for Great Salt Lake and new federal land agreements.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's state forester is poised to now oversee all of the state's natural resources, as the department undergoes a leadership change.

Gov. Spencer Cox on Tuesday named Jamie Barnes as the next commissioner of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, replacing Joel Ferry, who is stepping down.

Barnes currently serves as the director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands and the state forester, and is expected to enter her new role in August, pending Utah Senate confirmation.

"Jamie Barnes understands that responsible stewardship requires strong relationships, practical solutions and a willingness to work through difficult issues. She has earned the trust of partners across Utah and brings years of experience managing our forests, wildfire response and state lands," Cox said in a statement. "She is exceptionally prepared to lead the Department of Natural Resources, and I am grateful she has agreed to serve."

Utah's natural resources department manages many other divisions beyond forestry and state lands. These range from wildlife to mining to outdoor recreation and state parks. The Great Salt Lake commissioner and Colorado River Authority offices also report to the department.

Ferry had led the department since 2022, most notably helping oversee major changes in how the Great Salt Lake is managed by the state.

The Great Salt Lake commissioner's office was created during his tenure, and he helped the state secure $50 million in federal funds for lake projects in 2024, the most federal dollars the shrinking lake has received to date, and new philanthropic donations.

He was part of the group that met with federal leaders this year that influenced President Donald Trump's request for $1 billion in additional Great Salt Lake funding. That request is still pending Congressional approval.

In addition to funding, Ferry helped secure new water rights for the lake, including the state's $30 million acquisition of the US Magnesium plant in Tooele County that included over 144,000 acre-feet of water rights.

The lake wasn't the only key project. Cox praised him for helping turn "Operation Gigawatt" from an idea into action, improving the state's power generation capabilities through multiple power sources.

Utah also entered into a 20-year forest management agreement with the U.S. Forest Service earlier this year, giving it more say on decisions made at national forests in the state.

Ferry also served as the state's first water agent, tasked with helping the state secure future water needs.

He plans to spend more time on his Box Elder County farm, while also going into the private sector as a government affairs consultant, a spokesperson for the Utah Department of Natural Resources told KSL.

Barnes is slated to take over on Aug. 31. She joined the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands as a paralegal in 2011, but rose through the ranks to manage its sovereign lands program before becoming the division director in 2021.

She now oversees the state's natural resources during a pivotal time.

Utah and six other Colorado River states are still negotiating how to use the river's water, while the Great Salt Lake nears its all-time lowest point again. The state's drought has created all sorts of other issues, including the most destructive fire season since at least 2018. That's on top of growing energy demands and massive debates over public lands.

In a statement, Barnes thanked Ferry for the "strong foundation" he created at the department that she hopes to build upon.

"I appreciate the governor's confidence in me and am honored by the opportunity to continue serving Utah," she said. "I look forward to working alongside the dedicated employees of the Department of Natural Resources and our partners across the state to responsibly manage the lands, water and natural resources Utahns depend on."

Her appointment comes a week after Cox named Hannah Freeze as the state's next Great Salt Lake commissioner.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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Utah governmentGreat Salt LakeOutdoorsEnvironmentPolitics

Carter Williams

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Carter Williams is a reporter for KSL. He covers Salt Lake City, statewide transportation issues, outdoors, the environment and weather. He is a graduate of Southern Utah University.