Riley Peck named new DWR director

Salt Lake City — Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Joel Ferry named Riley Peck as the new director for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, effective Monday, Jan. 13.

A resident of Eagle Mountain, Utah County, Peck started working for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in 2006 as a native aquatics technician. In 2009, he transitioned to working as a wildlife biologist before eventually being promoted to Central Region wildlife manager in 2016. He worked in that role until 2019, when he became the once-in-a-lifetime species coordinator. Peck has served as the division's legislative liaison from 2019 until now.

With a bachelor's in biology from the University of Utah and a master's degree in plant and wildlife science from Brigham Young University, Peck has always had a passion for the outdoors and wildlife conservation.

"I have always loved wildlife, fishing, hunting, camping and all things outdoors and always had a desire to operate in that space," Peck said. "Getting to do what I am passionate about as a living has been a great privilege, and I feel truly lucky that I have had the opportunity to work in wildlife management. At the DWR, we have made a lot of strides to gather some of the best wildlife data in the entire U.S. As director, I'd like us to continue to build on that and use that information to manage our wildlife species in Utah even more effectively."

"During his 19-year career with the DWR, Riley has garnered a lot of experience and knowledge and has also proven himself as an exceptional employee — he was recently named the 2024 DNR employee of the year. I feel confident in his ability to oversee the management of Utah's fish and wildlife," Ferry said.

Peck grew up in Riverton, and enjoys recreating in the outdoors hunting, fishing and camping with his wife and kids.

Peck replaces former DWR Director J Shirley, who retired Dec. 31, 2024.