DNR director resigns to manage $20 billion BP trust

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's connections to the Gulf Coast's oil spill recovery efforts continue to grow with the resignation of the director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, who will now manage a victim trust fund.

Mark Templeton will be executive director of the Office of Independent Trustees for the $20 billion Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust, Gov. Jay Nixon announced Monday.

Nixon appointed as a temporary replacement Kip Stetzler, who previously served as director of the governor's western regional office.

The governor said he was confident in Stetzler's ability to provide "solid leadership and continuity" while national search for a permanent replacement is undertaken.

Templeton will join Kent Syverud, the dean of the Washington University Law School, in handling trust fund issues.

Syverud was appointed as a Deepwater Horizon fund trustee earlier this month.

"I appreciate Mark's service and leadership of numerous projects critical to the protection of Missouri's natural resources," Nixon said. "Mark's effective use of Recovery Act funds made it possible for thousands of Missouri families, farms and businesses to reduce their heating and cooling bills and conserve energy."

Templeton served as DNR director since 2009. He was temporarily suspended following a delay in releasing information about elevated E. coli levels at the Lake of the Ozarks, and he was reinstated as the DNR increased its responsiveness regarding water quality issues.