Executive Director
Utah Department of Natural Resources
Bio:
Appointed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox in June 2022, Joel Ferry serves as the executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR), overseeing approximately 2,500 employees across nine divisions and two offices. These include Forestry, Fire and State Lands; Law Enforcement; Oil, Gas and Mining; State Parks; Outdoor Recreation; the Utah Geological Survey; Water Resources; Water Rights; Wildlife Resources; the Office of Energy Development; and the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office. The Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner and the Colorado River Authority of Utah also coordinate closely with the department. A fifth-generation farmer from Corinne, Ferry brings a deep passion for water policy, land conservation, and agriculture to his leadership at DNR. He continues to operate his family’s farm, ranch, feedlot, and hunting properties.Ferry’s background includes experience in the banking industry at Zions Bank and extensive public service. He has served as a state legislator, chairman of the Box Elder County Republican Party, and held roles with several conservation and agricultural organizations, including the Box Elder Farm Bureau, Delta Waterfowl, and the Friends of the Bear River Bird Refuge. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from Utah State University.
Title: A Healthy Lake by 2034, the Impossible Dream?
Abstract: As Executive Director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources and the state’s inaugural Water Agent, Joel Ferry operates at the critical intersection of policy development and executive implementation. A fifth-generation rancher from Corinne, Ferry’s perspective is rooted in a lifelong connection to the lake, having witnessed its trajectory from the historic floods of the 1980s to more recent record lows.
His landmark 2022 warning to the New York Times—describing the lake’s retreat as a "potential environmental nuclear bomb"—catalyzed aggressive, non-traditional policy interventions. During his tenure as a state legislator, Ferry sponsored the pivotal legislation that fundamentally shifted Utah water law, allowing the lake to hold its own water rights. This legislative shift paved the way for the historic $30 million acquisition of US Magnesium in one of the state’s most direct interventions.
Key highlights include:
- Historic Water Acquisitions: Analysis of “out-of-the-box” management strategies, including the strategic purchase of US Magnesium and its 144,000 acre-feet of water.
- Federal-State Synergy: Insights into Governor Cox’s “GSL 2034 Charter” and the resulting push for private and federal funding, including the "Make the Lake Great Again" initiative and the potential impact of President Trump’s $1 billion budget request to accelerate flows and mitigate dust.
- Policy in Practice: A look at the acceleration of water law reform, noting that more policy shifts and funding have occurred in the last five years than in the previous several decades combined.Strategic Implementation: Collaborative efforts with philanthropic organizations and stakeholders to secure the investment necessary for long-term resiliency.
- Science-Driven Policy: How the GSL Strike Team reports, the GSL Basin Integrated Plan, and other research use data to inform long-term management and legislative priorities.
Protecting Great Salt Lake requires a permanent commitment to creative, flexible policy and robust investment. As an economic engine and globally significant ecological sanctuary, the lake is a foundational pillar of Utah’s culture and future. While much work remains, the unprecedented conservation, investment, and policy shifts of recent years provide a transformative roadmap for the work ahead.
