The State Board of Land Commissioners appointed Dustin Miller to the position of Director of the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) in August 2018. As IDL Director, Dustin oversees the operations of the agency, which is constitutionally charged with generating revenue for public schools and other beneficiaries through the management of natural resources on 2.5 million acres of state endowment trust lands. The agency also enforces state environmental protection statutes, such as the Idaho Forest Practices Act and Lake Protection Act and provides wildfire protection and suppression on more than 9 million acres of forest lands in Idaho.

Dustin has been a member of the Governor’s Natural Resources Cabinet since 2012. Prior to joining IDL, he served as the Administrator of the Governor’s Office of Species Conservation, an agency charged with developing and implementing collaborative conservation and recovery strategies for federally protected fish and wildlife species, while maintaining working landscapes. Dustin also worked as the Wildlife Program Manager for the agency.

Throughout his career, Dustin has built support for collaborative land use initiatives and has helped establish relationships with State and federal agencies, private landowners, and natural resource industry leaders. Dustin began his career in natural resources as a seasonal wildland firefighter and is a graduate of the University of Idaho. As a way of giving back to his alma mater, Dustin serves as a member of the College of Natural Resources advisory board at the University of Idaho.