September 18, 2025 – Washington, D.C. – Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) congratulate Katherine Scarlett, Richard Fordyce, and Dr. Andrea Travnicek on their Senate confirmations. They will serve as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the Department of the Interior (DOI), respectively.
"Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have always found the greatest success delivering our habitat mission in partnership with those who manage the land—from America's world-class farmers and ranchers to the expert policymakers and field staff at our natural resource agencies,” said Ariel Wiegard, PF & QF’s vice president of government affairs. “Katherine Scarlett, Richard Fordyce, and Dr. Andrea Travnicek are all dedicated and experienced public servants; PF & QF sincerely look forward to working with them and their agencies to deliver common sense conservation initiatives that benefit our American lands and the people who love and steward them.”
CEQ consults and coordinates with federal agencies, providing guidance on the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act to ensure timely environmental review and permitting processes across the Federal government. Scarlett, an alumna of the Trump administration and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, will lead efforts to advise and assist President Trump on policies that promote the improvement of environmental quality, while supporting the economic prosperity and energy security of the American people.
Fordyce, a Missouri farmer, previously served in the Trump administration as the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA), overseeing the hunter-favorite Conservation Reserve Program alongside a suite of other farmer-focused programs. In his new role as FPAC Undersecretary, Fordyce will lead key USDA agencies that directly serve farmers, ranchers, and private foresters, including FSA, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Risk Management Agency.
Dr. Travnicek served at DOI during Trump’s first term, in leadership roles overseeing natural resource agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management. In her home state of North Dakota, she led both the ND Department of Water Resources and ND Parks and Recreation. Now as Assistant Secretary, Travnicek will lead and work with the engineers, hydrologists, and scientists at the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Geological Survey to implement the bureaus’ core missions.
About Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever
Pheasants Forever and
Quail Forever make up the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. This community of more than 500,000 members, supporters and partners is dedicated to the protection of our uplands through habitat improvement, public access, education and advocacy. A network of 754 local chapters spread across North America determine how 100 percent of their locally raised funds are spent — the only national conservation organization that operates through this grassroots structure. Since its creation in 1982, the organization has dedicated more than $1 billion to 585,000 habitat projects benefiting 31 million acres.
Media Contact
Mikayla Peper
Mpeper@pheasantsforever.org