Gov. Mark Sanford named McShane as his fourth appointment to the board and also appointed him chairman.

McShane is the president of the board of trustees of the Lowcountry Open Land Trust and serves on the ACE Basin Task Force, which works to protect undeveloped land in a 350,000-acre coastal area south of Charleston.

The new chairman, who says he is an avid waterfowl and bird hunter, volunteers on the Ducks Unlimited national Conservation Programs Committee.

He serves as the president and chief executive officer of the Nemours Wildlife Foundation, which he describes as a conservation and education organization set up by his family to promote good land stewardship practices.

"I'm excited," McShane said of his new position. He said he considers it a privilege that comes with responsibilities and a steep learning curve.

Sanford came to him, McShane said, adding that he did not campaign for the post. He served on Sanford's Quality of Life Task Force before the governor took office.

"Mike McShane has an immense amount of personal capacity and institutional knowledge on quality of life issues in South Carolina," Sanford spokesman Will Folks said Friday.

"He's been consistently engaged in this arena ... and his perspective has been and will continue to be invaluable to the governor in taking a fresh look at DNR's mission," Folks said.

"I'm elated he will be our chairman," said DNR Director John Frampton.

"I have watched Mike on the ACE Basin Task Force and am confident he will do a superb job running the (DNR) board and representing the sportsmen and citizensamount of personal capacity and institutional knowledge on quality of life issues in South Carolina," Sanford spokesman Will Folks said Friday.

"He's been consistently engaged in this arena ... and his perspective has been and will continue to be invaluable to the governor in taking a fresh look at DNR's mission," Folks said.

"I'm elated he will be our chairman," said DNR Director John Frampton.

"I have watched Mike on the ACE Basin Task Force and am confident he will do a superb job running the (DNR) board and representing the sportsmen and citizens of this state," said Frampton, who was promoted to DNR director about four months ago.

McShane has a great deal of knowledge about wildlife and environmental issues, Frampton said.

The Nemours foundation oversees the 9,800-acre Nemours Plantation in Beaufort County and is dedicated to the study and stewardship of natural resources, wildlife resources, education and outreach, Frampton pointed out.

McShane also is a principal in Johns Island Enterprises, which manages diverse family interests, he said.

McShane, wife Gigi and their three young daughters reside on their Johns Island farm. They have placed a conservation easement, which restricts development, on part of the farm. The family property in Beaufort County also is protected from development, he said.

Sanford previously appointed T. Smith Ragsdale III of Georgetown, R. Michael Campbell II of Columbia and Stephen L. Davis of Greenwood to the DNR board.

Dr. Joab M. Lesesne Jr. of Spartanburg, Dr. Douglas A. Rucker of Lancaster and D. Malloy McEachin Jr. of Florence remain on the board as appointments of former Gov. Jim Hodges.

Sanford will continue to look at candidates for those three remaining appointments, Folks said Friday.

"The governor believes it is important to have a team in place that shares his philosophy, his approach to government and his specific ideas on the quality of life front," Folks said.

Frampton described Ragsdale, Campbell and Davis as fantastic appointments.

"All have had a personal interest in natural resources, hunting and fishing and are active in working with conservation organizations," Frampton said. "They all are familiar with natural resource issues."

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