A Year of Service, Collaboration, and Friendship — Looking Ahead to a Future of Stewardship, Conservation, and Protection

S.C. Department of Natural Resources Director commends state agency employees, looks to the future

By Dr. Tom Mullikin

As we stand at the close of another year and look ahead to the promise of a new one, I want to pause—intentionally and gratefully—to thank each of you for what you do every single day in service to the people and natural heritage of South Carolina.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is not simply an agency. It is a calling. Established by the Legislature and grounded in our Constitution, SCDNR exists for a higher purpose: to conserve, protect, enforce, and steward the natural resources of this remarkable state—today and for generations yet to come.

This past year, you have lived that mission.

You have enforced our laws with professionalism and courage.

You have managed our lands and waters with science, wisdom, and care.

You have educated the public, served our communities, responded to emergencies, restored habitats, protected wildlife, and upheld the public trust—often quietly, often without recognition, but always with integrity.

From the coast to the mountains, from rivers and forests to fields and wetlands, your work has safeguarded the very foundations of South Carolina’s identity, economy, and way of life. Because of you, families hunt and fish, communities are protected from flooding, species are conserved, traditions endure, and the natural beauty of our state remains not just preserved—but alive.

As Theodore Roosevelt once reminded us, “The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value.” That is exactly what you do.

As we enter the new year, we do so with confidence—not because challenges will be fewer, but because this Department is strong. We are strong because of our people. Because of your expertise. Because of your willingness to lead, to adapt, to collaborate, and to place service above self.

The year ahead will demand innovation, unity, and resolve. It will require us to break down silos, think boldly, and continue to prove that conservation and economic vitality are not opposing forces—but enduring partners. I have no doubt that you are equal to that task.

Know this: your work matters. It matters to the child casting their first fishing line, to the farmer depending on healthy waters, to the officer standing watch in the dark, to the scientist collecting data at dawn, and to future generations who will inherit the lands and waters we protect today.

Thank you for your dedication. Thank you for your professionalism. Thank you for your belief in something larger than ourselves.

May 2026 bring renewed purpose, good health, and the quiet satisfaction that comes from honorable service. Together, we will continue to fulfill our constitutional mandate and ensure that South Carolina’s natural wonders endure—protected, strengthened, and cherished.

With gratitude and confidence in the road ahead.

– Dr. Tom Mullikin, director of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, is a renowned global expedition leader, former U.S. Army officer, retired state military commander, environmental attorney, university professor and explorer whose body of work includes the interconnected disciplines of global law, conservation, public service, national security, and state law enforcement. Mullikin is the former chair of the S.C. Floodwater Commission.

– For more information about the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, visit https://www.dnr.sc.gov/.