Here & Now

Former DNR Secretary George Mayer On Reorganization

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

FORMER DNR SECRETARY AND CURRENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WISCONSIN WILDLIFE FEDERATION, GEORGE MEYER, IS HERE WITH HIS TAKE ON THIS REORGANIZATION. THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

GEORGE MEYER:

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SECRETARY STEPP ASSURES THAT THIS PLAN WILL NOT WEAKEN ENVIRONMENTAL OR CONSERVATION STANDARDS. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

GEORGE MEYER:

WELL, THE STANDARDS AREN’T REALLY AT STAKE. THOSE ARE SET IN LAW. BUT THE STAFFING TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAMS AND TO MEET THE STANDARDS IS REALLY THE CHALLENGE FOR DNR THESE DAYS. THEY’RE TREMENDOUSLY UNDER-STAFFED, UNDERFUNDED. THEY’VE LOST BETWEEN 15% AND 20% OF THEIR EMPLOYEES AND JUST DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO GET THE WORK DONE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO IF YOU WERE CURRENT DNR SECRETARY AND LOOKING AT THAT ISSUE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

GEORGE MEYER:

WELL, AND I HAVE SYMPATHY FOR THE SECRETARY AND HER STAFF ON THIS. ONE OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS MANY OF US HAVE AND THE PUBLIC HAS IS WATER QUALITY IN OUR LAKES AND STREAMS, OUR DRINKING WATER. AND, FOR INSTANCE, THE PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, FOR MUNICIPALITIES AND INDUSTRY TO DISCHARGE THEIR PERMITS AND THE CONTAMINATED RUNOFFS FROM AGRICULTURE AND CITIES INTO THE WATERWAYS, THE PERMIT FEES HAVEN’T BEEN INCREASED FOR OVER 20 YEARS. SO THERE’S NO FUNDING TO HIRE THE STAFF TO GET THE JOB DONE. YOU KNOW, THE REORGANIZATION DOES HAVE SOME GOOD POINTS THAT I’VE SEEN IN IT SO FAR. THERE’S MANY THINGS THAT STILL NEED SOME DETAILS. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT’S REARRANGING THE CHAIRS ON THE DECK. THE PROBLEM IS THEY DON’T HAVE ENOUGH CHAIRS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

IT’S NOT LIKELY, WOULD YOU THINK, THAT PERMIT FEES WOULD INCREASE?

GEORGE MEYER:

WELL, I THINK THE LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT IT. AND SENATOR ROB COWLES AND OTHERS HAVE HAD THE LEGISLATIVE AUDIT BUREAU DO AN AUDIT AND SHOWED THE SHORT STAFFING AT DNR. IT’S HARD TO GET GENERAL TAX DOLLARS TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS. BUT FEES JUST HAVE TO GO UP AT CERTAIN TIMES TO MEET THE ADDITIONAL COST OF RUNNING PROGRAMS. THAT WILL BE A SOLUTION WE HOPE THEY CHOOSE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SPECIFIC TO SOME OF THE PLANS IN THIS REALIGNMENT, THE PERMITTING OF CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS, IS IT A CONCERN THAT PRIVATE CONSULTANTS WILL WRITE UP THESE PERMITS?

GEORGE MEYER:

I THINK THERE’S SOME INFORMATION OUT THERE THAT NEEDS CLARIFICATION. I THINK DNR’S STARTING TO DO THAT. THE UNDERSTANDING IS THE ACTUAL PERMITS WILL STILL BE WRITTEN BY DNR, BUT A LOT OF BACKGROUND WORK ON THE NUTRIENT PLANS, WHICH IS HOW MUCH MANURE TO SPREAD WHERE. THAT’S GOING TO BE DONE BY THE CONSULTANTS, BY CERTIFIED CONSULTANTS. AND AS LONG AS THEY’RE CERTIFIED AND UP TO STANDARDS, THAT CAN PROVIDE GOOD INPUT. BUT THE PERMITS STILL NEED TO BE WRITTEN BY DNR STAFF. IT’S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT HAS BEEN CLARIFIED, THAT WILL BE DONE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AS FOR THE SCIENCE BUREAU AT THE DNR AND SCIENTISTS REASSIGNED TO A NEW OFFICE WITHIN THE FISH WILDLIFE AND PARKS DIVISION, WHAT’S YOUR REACTION TO THAT?

GEORGE MEYER:

THE PROBLEM IS WHERE THEY’RE BEING PUT RIGHT NOW SEEMS TO BE A DECENT IDEA. THE PROBLEM IS THERE ISN’T SUFFICIENT STAFFING TO DO THE RESEARCH THAT’S BEING NEEDED. WITH THE TREMENDOUS CHALLENGES FACING THIS STATE COMING UP IN THE NEXT 20, 30 YEARS, THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FISH & WILDLIFE AND FLOODING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. THE SPREAD OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE. WE NEED MORE RESEARCH, NOT LITTLE. HOPEFULLY AT SOME POINT IN TIME THAT’LL BE REVISED AND THEY’LL BE MORE RESEARCHERS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT WILL BE THE FIRST THING TO WATCH FOR IN THIS NEWLY ALIGNED DNR?

GEORGE MEYER:

I THINK THE WATER QUALITY PROGRAM IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY TO LOOK AT. WILL THEY IN FACT BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IT? THE SECOND IS THE MANAGEMENT OF THE WILDLIFE AREAS. THERE’S SOME REAL MAJOR CHANGES GOING DOWN THERE. THERE NEEDS TO BE, WE THINK, MORE STAFFING IN SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS TO MANAGE THE LANDS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALL RIGHT. GEORGE MEYER, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

GEORGE MEYER:

GOOD TO BE HERE.