A native of Kentucky, H. Dale Hall began serving as the director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service in October 2005. Hall received a bachelor’s of science degree in biology and chemistry from Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky, and a master's degree in fisheries science from Louisiana State University.

 

In 1968 Hall joined the US Air Force and served a total of four years, with overseas assignments in Italy and the Philippines. After returning to civilian life in 1972, he managed catfish farms in the delta region of Mississippi for Eden Fisheries and Farm, Inc.

 

Hall joined the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1978, working in the wetlands of the Lower Mississippi Valley. In 1982, he transferred to Texas as a senior staff biologist. He was promoted to field supervisor and ran the Houston field office for four years.

 

In 1987, Hall became the deputy assistant director for fisheries in the service’s Washington, DC, office, where he played a major role in developing FWS’ policy for management of the nation’s fisheries facilities, including 75 fish hatcheries, 48 fish and wildlife management assistance offices, four technology development centers and 11 fish health centers.

 

Hall moved to Portland, Oregon, in January 1991 where, as the assistant regional director for ecological services for the Pacific Region, he managed the service’s activities relating to the northern spotted owl, desert tortoise, endangered Hawaiian birds and other listed species. He was also responsible for the regulation of the region’s wetlands, environmental contaminants, issues and federal water projects. Under his guidance, more than 300 new species were placed under the protection of the Endangered Species Act and nearly $200 million in environmental contaminants cleanup settlements were reached with parties responsible for the pollution.

 

During his last three years of service in the Pacific Region, Hall directly supervised all service activities in the Klamath Ecoregion and in the state of California, with the exception of law enforcement. His responsibilities included managing the implementation of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and water resource settlements under what has become known as the CALFED/Bay-Delta program.

 

In 1997, Hall was appointed deputy regional director of the service’s southeast region, where he assisted the regional director in overseeing 15 ecosystems that range in diversity from the hardwoods of the lower Mississippi to the tropics of the Caribbean.

Hall previously served as regional director for the service’s southwest region, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In that capacity, he was responsible for directing the service’s fish, wildlife and habitat conservation, protection and enhancement activities in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.