Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Office of the Commissioner

Commissioner Biography

Commissioner-designee Randy Bates

Randy was appointed Commissioner-designee in May 2025. He has served the state for more than 24 years with a majority of that time as the director of the Water Division (Department of Environmental Conservation), Habitat Division (Department of Fish and Game), and the Division of Coastal and Ocean Management (Department of Natural Resources). In each of these positions he was responsible for establishing public policy, resource management directives, and permitting requirements in Alaska as they relate water, fish habitat, ocean resources, and more.

Randy values and thrives when working with appointed state and federal agency officials, agency staff members, resource industry proponents and opponents, municipalities, Alaska Native Tribes and Regional Corporations, conservation organizations, and interested members of the public to evaluate, explain, and resolve natural resource issues and conflicts.

His passion and appreciation for the environment, clean water, and plentiful natural resources in Alaska began around the age of 6, battling salmon nearly his own weight. He commercial fished through his schooling years, earned a B.S. in Fisheries from Oregon State University, and continues to commercial fish in southeast Alaska's gillnet and hand troll fisheries.