Meghan Hertel was officially sworn in to lead the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), bringing a background in biodiversity conservation, habitat restoration, and science-based resource management to the role. As director, Hertel will oversee management of California’s fish and wildlife populations, habitat restoration efforts, and sustainable hunting and fishing, while working with Tribes, rural communities, landowners, and outdoor stakeholders across the state. 

Hertel most recently served as deputy secretary of biodiversity and habitat at the California Natural Resources Agency, where she helped advance the state’s 30x30 strategy- an effort to conserve 30 percent of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. She also played a key role in the Cutting Green Tape initiative, aimed at accelerating habitat restoration projects.

Before joining CNRA in 2024, Hertel served as North American director for Land Life, a technology-driven restoration company, and spent more than a decade with Audubon California leading statewide conservation programs focused on inland waters and working lands.

CDFW officials say the department is positioned to continue advancing its mission to protect California’s fish, wildlife, and habitat under Hertel’s leadership.