Head of SC’s natural resources agency to retire

Robert Boyles, director of the state Department of Natural Resources. (Provided/SC Department of Natural Resources)

COLUMBIA — The head of the state Department of Natural Resources will retire in January, the department announced Tuesday.

Robert Boyles spent five years overseeing the department in charge of hunting, fishing and boating, as well as conservation efforts for the state’s wildlife and waterways.

“Serving as SCDNR director has been the honor of my professional life, and I recognize that any success I have enjoyed is the result of the passion, vision and commitment that our staff and our partners bring to the realm of natural resources stewardship every day,” Boyles said in a statement.

Before the department’s board selected Boyles as director in 2019, he spent 27 years in various roles with the agency. That included a 16-year stint as deputy director of the Marine Resources Division, which is in charge of managing and preserving the state’s waterways.

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“Director Boyles has been a consummate professional … providing steady leadership throughout his tenure,” Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement. “Under his direction, DNR has thrived, making significant progress in protecting our state’s wildlife and natural resources.”

Boyles’ salary is $187,000 to oversee an agency of almost 1,000 employees.

The agency’s director does not directly report to the governor. Rather, he reports to a board, and all of its members are picked by the governor, with the Senate’s approval.

Last year, Boyles received a regional award from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, a multi-state group of officials he led before becoming the agency’s director. Boyles helped lead efforts to conserve horseshoe crabs and Atlantic menhaden, which are small fish found along the Atlantic coast, the commission wrote at the time .

“Director Boyles has served SCDNR well for many years and has made invaluable contributions to the agency and the state of South Carolina,” department board Chairman Norman Pulliam said in a statement. “SCDNR is a well-managed organization, and Director Boyles has laid impressive groundwork to ensure it remains a premier state agency for years to come.

The board said in a release a search is underway for Boyles’ successor, who must be approved by the state Senate.