Pam Matthes

Pam Matthes has worked among a wide variety of natural resource management programs throughout the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the National Park Service (NPS) and the Department to protect and restore sensitive fish and wildlife habitat affected by special projects.  Pam began her career with the FWS by working in the Office of Biological Services, which later became known as Ecological Services, where she served as a Fish and Wildlife Biologist providing protective stipulations governing oil and gas development on the outer continental shelf.  Pam used knowledge gained in ES and moved to the Division of Refuge Management, where she designed protective stipulations governing the development of private oil and gas rights in select units of the National Wildlife Refuge System.  She also worked on special projects, such as geothermal exploration in the Arctic NWR.  While in Refuges, Pam also worked on significant land exchanges affecting units of both the National Wildlife Refuge System and the National Park System in Alaska. 

From her work in Refuges, Pam joined the NPS where she assisted Park Superintendents with protecting natural resources during energy development of privately owned mineral rights.  She later joined the Water Resources Division to enhance the wetlands protection and natural resource damage assessment programs of the NPS.  During her last year with the NPS and before returning to the FWS, Pam was the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks and assisted the National Park Service in strengthening its scientific capabilities to manage fish and wildlife resources in parks.  During her time in the Assistant Secretary’s Office, Pam secured legislative protection for the hydrothermal resources of Crater Lake National Park from adjacent geothermal development, for which she was awarded the Department’s Honor Award for Superior Service.

Pam Matthes serves as the Deputy to both the Assistant Director for Migratory Birds and to the Assistant Director for Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs.  She comes to both these programs after having served in the Division of Federal Assistance as the Multistate Conservation Grant Program Coordinator.