Yesterday, Governor Jerry Brown appointed David Bunn, a former fish and game official and U.C. Davis academic, to lead the California Department of Conservation. The appointment comes after the departure of Director Mark Nechodom, who resigned earlier this month.
As director of the Department of Conservation, Bunn will inherit an office that administers a variety of programs vital to California’s public safety, environment and economy, including the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (“DOGGR”). DOGGR is tasked with overseeing the development of California’s oil, gas, and geothermal resources while protecting the environment.
Bunn has worked in the private sector, the state Legislature, the executive branch, and academia. He co-founded American Trash Management and served as field manager from 1991 to 1996. In 2003, Bunn became a project director and researcher at the U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and has been associate director at the school’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Office of International Programs since 2011.
Bunn’s appointment will be sent to the Senate for confirmation.
