Karen M. Schapiro: Board, not governor, should choose DNR chief
A letter to the editor
October 16, 2007
Dear Editor: The state Assembly's Natural Resource Committee
deserves praise for its ability to see past political differences and
draft a bill that seeks to preserve and protect Wisconsin's vast
natural resources for generations to come. The committee is
considering Assembly Bill 504, which would return to the state's
Natural Resources Board the authority to appoint the secretary of the
Department of Natural Resources. Sponsored by both Republicans and
Democrats, AB 504 is significant not only for its bipartisan support,
but also for the partisan politics it seeks to remove from the
appointment of the state's top natural resources manager. In
1995, the Legislature withdrew the authority of the Natural Resources
Board to appoint the DNR secretary and made the secretary a political
appointee of the governor. This shift transformed the position from one
of political independence to an appointment vulnerable to political
influence. Natural resource management must not be subject to
pressures of partisan politics. The Natural Resources Board is a group
comprised of seven citizens from across the state. This change would
surely improve natural resource management by allowing the secretary to
act in the best interests of the public. We applaud the Assembly
for its work on AB 504, which would restore the appointment decision
the day the law is passed. It is encouraging to see a bipartisan bill
that seeks to effect such a welcome change. Karen M. Schapiro, executive director, Midwest Environmental Advocates, Madison
|