SALEM — The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved the nomination of Charles “Chuck” Sams III as National Park Service director, which will make him the first Native American to lead the agency.
Some conservationists hailed Sams’ confirmation Thursday night as a commitment to equitable partnership with tribes, the original stewards of the land.
The National Park Service oversees more than 131,000 square miles of parks, monuments, battlefields and other landmarks.
Jonathan Jarvis, who was confirmed as park service director in 2009, left the agency in January 2017.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet secretary, said in August, when President Joe Biden nominated Sams, that he brings diverse experience.
His organization works to conserve natural and cultural resources at North America’s largest estuary, Chesapeake Bay, where the National Park Service manages some sites.
Sams lives on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation with wife, Lori Sams, and their four children. »