“There’s a real problem with not having a leader at the head of the agency. It’s killing morale. Killing morale,” Kristen Brengel, senior vice president for government affairs with the National Parks Conservation Association, said in an interview.

Jeff Ruch of the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonpartisan advocacy group that works with government whistleblowers and frequently sues the executive branch, said in an interview that it was baffling Biden had not yet picked someone, noting the congressional calendar will be busy in the fall and finding time for nominations may be difficult.

“There are only so many shopping days before Christmas,” Ruch said.