Wisconsin Stewardship PAC Forms to Push Environmental Issues During Fall Elections

It was a grand reunion for many long-time Wisconsin conservationists and environmentalists, and a chance for us to publicly recognize the outstanding achievements of some very special lawyers.In June, more than 150 people from across Wisconsin gathered in Madison for a wonderful outdoor reception to honor Thomas Dawson and Kathleen Falk, of the Wisconsin Public Intervenor's Office, a state agency which operated from 1967 to 1995 protecting public rights in Wisconsin's natural resources. This tiny office of two lawyers, and one and a half secretaries, was a powerful force for resource protection and was responsible for a large share of Wisconsin's reputation as a progressive, environmental state.

The reception was a bittersweet reunion, because the Intervenor's Office was virtually dismantled last year, as part of Governor Thompson's budget package. A drastically altered agency still exists under the name "Intervenor's Office," but it was cut to only one attorney and stripped of the right to sue state agencies, a key facet of the Intervenor's clout. (Both Tom & Kathy refused to stay in this position.)

The office was also moved from the Department of Justice over to the DNR, putting the office under the direct control of the DNR Secretary and Governor Thompson. This control is a serious problem, because it conflicts with the Intervenor's purpose, which was to watchdog and, if necessary, challenge state agencies like the DNR to ensure the protection of public rights in the environment.

The event also highlighted the creation of the Wisconsin Stewardship PAC (Political Action Committee) which has vowed to fight for the full restoration of the Intervenor's Office and a moratorium on metallic sulfide mining in Wisconsin. This new bi-partisan political organizing group is a union of conservationists working statewide to capture the public's ear and the hearts of elected officials who decide the fate of Wisconsin's natural resources, through electoral campaign work on key legislative races.

The PAC will help voters evaluate the environmental records and policies of candidates. This first fundraising event for the PAC was wildly successful, raising nearly $10,000 from the bipartisan crowd attending the event.

The reception included a delicious picnic spread, big tents, great music by the "Rattletrap String Band," and a sit-down hour of remembrances by friends and statewide leaders. Maxine Hough, a former state legislator and chair of the newly created PAC, welcomed everyone. Paul Hassett, the one time head of Wisconsin Manufacturer's and Commerce, expressed his strong beliefs in the importance of the Intervenor's Office and then Caryl Terrell, of the Sierra Club, described her appreciation for the nine Citizens Advisory Committee members who set policy for the Office.

UW-Madison Law Professor Arlen Christensen was praised by Attorney Kevin Lyons for his leadership in the early creation of the Office and for his continued work on the Citizen Advisory Committee. Professor Christensen also supervised the Legal Intern program which recruited law school students to earn credits while assisting the Intervenor's Office with legal research and outreach to the general public.

A big moment at the gathering occurred when Dr. Daniel Trainer, former Dean of the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point, presented a recognition plaque to former Intervenor Kathleen Falk, and Chan McKelvey, former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Development, awarded former Intervenor Thomas Dawson a similar plaque. In addition, we honored past and part-time Intervenor's, the Office support staff, and administrators in the Department of Justice who supported the Office.

The reception left few dry eyes in the crowd, but at the same time, the intensity and size of the gathering generated a strange new energy - a recharged commitment to take back the leadership on Wisconsin environmental issues. We're organized and on a roll.

- Becky Katers. Becky was a former member of the Public Intervenor's Citizens' Advisory Committee for the Public Intervenor's Office and is the Director of Clean Water Action Council in Green Bay.