The following news release comes from Representative Spencer Black's office and addresses a major concern of the Wisconsin Stewardship Network - the loss of DNR Independence. Representative Black can be reached at 608-266-7521 for more specifics.
Representative Spencer Black has introduced legislation to end the
political control of the Department of Natural Resources. Black's
legislation will restore the independence of the DNR. Prior
to 1995, the DNR Secretary was appointed by a 7-member citizen board.
In 1995, however, the Legislature and Governor eliminated the non-partisan
status of the DNR. Now, the DNR Secretary is a political appointee
who is hired and fired by the Governor.
Black's bill would return the DNR to its non-partisan, politically independent status. "Wisconsin's system of a politically independent conservation agency made our state a national leader in protecting our environment. That's because decisions about our outdoors were based on science, not politics. The recent change to a politically controlled DNR undermines our proud tradition of stewardship of our environment. The newly established political control of the DNR means that decisions about our environment are now subject to political interference," said Representative Black.
Black announced the introduction of the legislation at a press conference held at the State Capitol on January 21. Black pointed out that the law that had kept direct political influence out of conservation decisions dates all the way back to 1927 when the great Wisconsin conservationist Aldo Leopold led the fight to end political control and cronyism in our conservation agency.
Black was joined at the press conference by two daughters of Aldo Leopold - Nina Leopold Bradley and Estrella Leopold. Also at the press conference was Senator Kevin Shibilski the lead sponsor of the legislation in the Senate as well as conservation leaders. The bill is sponsored by a bi-partisan group of 34 legislators.
Black said that while the greatest impact of political control is likely to be in the long term, the impact of political control of the DNR has already been seen. Black said the DNR has increasingly gone from the role of independent regulator of the mining industry to a booster of mining. Black pointed to the DNR's role in lobbying against the mining moratorium bill, the refusal of the agency to properly implement the moratorium law and the recent decision by the agency to drop minimum payments from mining companies to an environmental clean-up fund.
Black also pointed to a recent decision by the DNR to give the cranberry industry a special exemption from wetlands protection. Since 1991, the cranberry industry has contributed more than $84,000 to Governor Thompson's campaign.
Black also noted that the DNR has become a mouthpiece for the Governor's proposals instead of an independent and respected evaluator of legislation that effects our outdoors. For example, the DNR backed Governor Thompson's raid on the Recycling Fund in the last budget, something that it always opposed prior to becoming a politically controlled agency.
The DNR has also been used for partisan political fundraising since it came under political control. Black pointed to a fundraiser for Republican legislative candidates hosted by the DNR Secretary. The Secretary used his official title and agency name to solicit lobbyists for campaign contributions. "Having the regulator of the mining and landfill industries soliciting campaign contributions from mining and landfill lobbyists compromises enforcement of our anti-pollution laws," Black noted.
"It is time that we return to the Aldo Leopold system of conservation that served our state so well for almost 70 years. Our environment is too important to our state and our future to allow political control over conservation to continue," Black concluded. "Decisions about our outdoors should be based on what is best for our environment - not on what is best for politicians."