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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This concurrent resolution recognizes Michael Russell "Mike" Styler for his service as
11 the Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 ▸ recognizes the dedication and public service of Mike Styler; and
15 ▸ expresses appreciation for Mike Styler's many contributions to the state of Utah.
16 Special Clauses:
17 None
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19 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
20 WHEREAS, Michael Russell "Mike" Styler served as the Executive Director of the
21 Department of Natural Resources for more than 14 years, making him the longest-serving
22 executive director in the agency's history;
23 WHEREAS, Mike Styler graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor's
24 degree with a double major in Agricultural Economics and Business Education;
25 WHEREAS, Mike Styler served eight years as a Millard County commissioner from
26 1983 to 1990 serving as chairman during unprecedented economic and population growth
27 arising from construction of the Intermountain Power Project 1900-megawatt generating station
28 and related facilities in Millard County;
29 WHEREAS, Mike Styler served as the president of the Utah Association of County
30 Commissioners;
31 WHEREAS, Mike Styler served the farming community as president of the Deseret
32 Irrigation Company;
33 WHEREAS, Mike Styler taught United States History in the Millard School District
34 from 1990 to 2005, generating great enthusiasm among his students;
35 WHEREAS, Mike Styler was appointed in 1993 to serve as a member of the Utah
36 House of Representatives and continued to be elected to serve the state of Utah in that capacity
37 until resigning in 2005 to accept the appointment as Executive Director of the Department of
38 Natural Resources;
39 WHEREAS, while a member of the Utah House of Representatives, Mike Styler served
40 on various committees and in various capacities, including as Assistant Majority Whip, as a
41 member of the Executive Appropriations Committee, as a member of the Legislative
42 Management Committee, as chair of the Legislative Water Issues Task Force, and as chair of
43 the Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee;
44 WHEREAS, Mike Styler served as the Executive Director of the Department of Natural
45 Resources, where he directed more than 1,300 employees across seven divisions, until his
46 retirement in June 2019;
47 WHEREAS, in 2006, Mike Styler started the annual Department of Natural Resources
48 employee appreciation corn and watermelon feast, which became so popular that the Governor
49 and his entire staff have been known to rearrange their schedules to attend and which has been
50 attended at various times by Senator Orrin Hatch, the Governor's Cabinet members, Utah state
51 legislators, congressional staffers, vendors, and friends of the state;
52 WHEREAS, Mike Styler provides all of the corn for the corn and watermelon feast
53 from the 400 acres of irrigated land in Oasis, Utah, where he successfully farms at the end of
54 the Styler Ditch at the end of the Sevier River;
55 WHEREAS, Mike Styler is known by many to have a keen eye for a good deal and has
56 been known to shop at the local National Product Sales store on his lunch hour, bringing back
57 expired sodas and cheese that he generously shares with his staff, which will be fondly
58 remembered by many at the Department of Natural Resources, especially for the time that he
59 bought a crate of bananas for 25 cents and brought it back to the office, along with 25 million
60 fruit flies;
61 WHEREAS, Mike Styler is always up for a good lunch and is known to spend many
62 lunch hours at "Tacos Danielle," consuming the lingua tacos with their variety of salsas and
63 spices, the hotter the better;
64 WHEREAS, Mike Styler is an avid hunter, fisherman, wildlife expert, and outdoor
65 advocate for the state of Utah;
66 WHEREAS, under his leadership, the Department of Natural Resources launched the
67 Watershed Restoration Initiative, a statewide collaborative effort among state and federal
68 agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private contributors that has completed roughly 2,000
69 projects and improved approximately 1.6 million acres of watersheds;
70 WHEREAS, Mike Styler was instrumental in the formation of and chaired the Utah
71 Water Task Force, that has proposed more than 90 enhancements to the Utah water statutes
72 adopted by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor, the acceleration of the state's
73 water rights adjudication process, and the signing of hunter access agreements with the School
74 and Institutional Trust Lands Administration;
75 WHEREAS, during his time with the Department of Natural Resources, Mike Styler
76 has carefully and expertly navigated significant and sensitive issues such as wolves, the Lake
77 Powell Pipeline, the greater sage grouse, wild horses, the Bear River Development Act,
78 wildfire management, groundwater pumping in the Snake Valley, the Utah prairie dog, and
79 management of water resources in one of the nation's driest states;
80 WHEREAS, Mike Styler has been described as a problem solver who brings diverse
81 groups together to develop practical solutions to complex natural resource issues, all the while
82 lending a quick smile, a pleasant sense of humor, and a gentle nature, yet with purpose and a
83 firm sense of direction;
84 WHEREAS, during his service to the people of Utah, Mike Styler was also dedicated to
85 his wife, LuAnn, and their children and grandchildren, has maintained and enlarged his
86 grandfather's home as a place to raise children and host family gatherings, and has served in
87 various other church and community leadership positions; and
88 WHEREAS, Mike Styler's many significant state and local contributions merit
89 recognition:
90 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
91 Governor concurring therein, recognizes the dedication and public service of Mike Styler
92 during his tenure as Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources, and expresses
93 appreciation for his many contributions to the state.
94 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution is sent to Mike Styler.