NDCNR Director Bradley Crowell nominated to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Today, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued the statement below in thanking Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (NDCNR) Director Bradley Crowell for his service to Nevada; and congratulating Crowell for being nominated by President Biden to serve on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Following Director Crowell’s departure, Governor Sisolak has appointed NDCNR’s Deputy Director, Jim Lawrence, to serve as Acting Director for the Department.

"I am extremely grateful for Director Crowell’s five and a half years of service leading Nevada’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. As a native Nevadan and experienced leader, Crowell has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to protecting our State’s environment and the vast cultural, recreational, and natural resources throughout the Silver State. As Director of one of Nevada’s largest and most multi-faceted agencies, he has been instrumental in engaging with Nevada’s broad range of stakeholders to address Nevada’s many environmental and natural challenges and opportunities head-on, including clean air and water, climate change, wildfire and forest health, drought, sustainable outdoor recreation, land management, responsible hard rock and critical minerals mining, protecting sagebrush habitat, historic resource preservation, and much more. There is no doubt Nevada has benefited from his visionary leadership, expertise, proactive and collaborative spirit, and unwavering commitment to public service. On behalf of the great State of Nevada, I thank Director Crowell for his meritorious service and wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future.  

I would also like to express my gratitude to Jim Lawrence who has stepped in as Acting Director. Jim’s leadership has been pivotal to advancing the State’s diverse array of environmental and cultural resource protection initiatives, and I would like to personally thank him for his commitment to Nevada and dedication to the Department.” 

Jim Lawrence has been with NDCNR for 23 years, and he has served as Deputy Director since 2015. He has more than 30 years of natural resource protection and land use planning experience in Nevada. As NDCNR’s Deputy Director, Jim’s experience includes overseeing multiple NDCNR divisions and programs, including the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Nevada Division of State Lands, Nevada Division of Natural Heritage, Nevada Historic Preservation Office, Sagebrush Ecosystem Program, and the Conserve Nevada Program. Jim has played an integral role in advancing a myriad of environmental improvement and sustainable recreation initiatives at Lake Tahoe, as well as overseeing the development and implementation of Nevada’s cutting-edge sagebrush ecosystem conservation credit program. Additionally, he served as Executive Officer for the Nevada State Land Use Planning Agency, and currently represents NDCNR on the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board.