New Missouri Department of Natural Resources director appointed

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday announced the appointment of Dru Buntin as the new Department of Natural Resources director.

Buntin was acting as director in the place of Carol Comer, who died in June at the age of 54. He was deputy director for four years prior to Comer’s death.

DNR oversees air and water pollution regulations and runs the state’s historical preservation office and Missouri State Parks. Buntin was an official in the department from 2000 to 2013, rising to the roles of Deputy Director for Policy and Chief of Water Resources. He then directed Upper Missouri River Basin Association until 2017, when then-Gov. Eric Greitens brought him back to DNR.

He has led the department’s “Red Tape Reduction” initiative to review rules and regulations that the administration considers burdensome to the public and propose amendment or elimination. Some of his priorities, he told reporters Wednesday, include improving flood protection and managing state parks improvement projects for which lawmakers approved revenue bonds this year.

“Dru is an experienced and trusted leader within DNR and across state government,” Parson said Wednesday. “He worked closely with Director Comer during her illness and stepped up to be a steady hand of leadership upon her passing.”

Comer had previously revealed a cancer diagnosis.