Senate Confirms Hubbard as New USDA Under Secretary
Earlier this year, the Senate Agriculture Committee unanimously approved the nomination of James E. Hubbard to be Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment. Today, Jim Hubbard was finally confirmed by the U.S. Senate.Hubbard was strongly supported by the Western Governors Association, and was supported by the timber industry including the National Association of State Foresters.
The undersecretary position includes oversight of the U.S. Forest Service. Hubbard worked for the Colorado Forest Service for 35 years, serving as State Forester for the final 20 of those years. In 2004, Hubbard joined the Interior Department as director of the Office of Wildland Fire Coordination, and two years later he was appointed deputy chief for state and private forestry at the USFS.
"We are pleased the U.S. Senate has advanced these qualified nominees," said U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. "Our hard-working farmers, ranchers, and folks in rural America have waited too long to be represented in these crucial capacities."
"I'm very excited for Jim to finally join our team here at USDA. His decades of experience, both in Colorado and across the federal government, make him uniquely qualified for this role and I'm confident that he will hit the ground running," said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.