Today marks one year since Adam Payne unexpectedly resigned from his position as Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Since then, the DNR has not had a Secretary overseeing one of the most active agencies in the state. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sporting Heritage, having a Secretary at the DNR is vital for my role in overseeing fishing, hunting and trapping in Wisconsin. It has been a frustrating and chaotic year with the absence of leadership at the DNR and it is very evident that there are bureaucrats at the helm.
At the beginning of 2024, the DNR announced an anticipated $16 million deficit in the Fish and Wildlife fund, which has raised concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of the conservation programs and spending at the DNR. Evidently, Governor Evers doesn't believe that a large deficit at the DNR is urgent enough to appoint a Secretary.
I’d like to point out that the latest budget provided increases to non-resident hunting, fishing, and combination license fees. The increase is estimated at almost $2.5 million annually for the Fish and Wildlife fund. There was also a transfer of $25 million to the Fish and Wildlife account from the forestry account. In addition, the legislature passed Senate Bill 780 to increase nonresident archer and crossbow hunting license fees that will provide an estimated annual increase of $409,000 to the account.
In January, the Senate Committee on Sporting Heritage held a hearing on a DNR administrative rule relating to gray wolf harvest regulations. There were many issues that came up during the hearing, such as the zone territories, harvest quota, tag requirements, and ambiguity for landowners. The Committee voted to request modifications and the DNR agreed to consider modifications. With no acting DNR Secretary in place, those negotiations with the department still have not taken place.
In April, Governor Evers vetoed a bill that would have released $125 million intended for the creation of critical new programs at the DNR to address the needs of PFAS-affected communities. During the legislative process, the previous Secretary took part in many of those conversations and dozens of concessions were made at the DNR’s request. Considering Governor Evers vetoed the bill five months after the Secretary’s resignation, it makes me wonder if the Governor even knew those conversations took place, or that the DNR’s requests were put into the bill.
In June, the DNR was sued by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) over an administrative rule that goes much farther than regulating fishing and actually infringes on the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. After WILL filed a lawsuit, the DNR promised in court to begin the repeal process as soon as practicable. A simple rule change could have been negotiated with a Secretary if we had one, instead of a taxpayer funded defense against an unnecessary lawsuit. The DNR has yet to repeal the rule.
In July, the DNR abruptly ended the long-standing trout stocking partnership with local trout clubs all over Wisconsin because even though the DNR had been raising them since the previous November, they supposedly couldn’t afford to transport the fish to the clubs. The clubs had already gone through their inspections by local DNR staff and purchased feed for the fish. We later found out that the DNR did transport the fish and actually dumped them in a river that was just miles from a trout club. Cleary, the lack of leadership at the DNR is affecting long-standing programs.
After that, I felt that I could no longer stand by in hopes of a Secretary being appointed so I requested that the Joint Legislative Audit Committee direct the non-partisan Legislative Audit Bureau to conduct an audit of the Fish and Wildlife accounts to identify any inefficiencies or mismanagement. It is crucial that there is accountability and transparency in the management of DNR. The DNR exists to protect our natural resources and support outdoor activities that are a vital part of our heritage and economy. I think we owe it to the people of Wisconsin, who are paying these dollars through license purchases, to make sure the money is spent appropriately.
The DNR is lacking leadership. These are a just a few of the examples of why having a Secretary is necessary. I honestly do not understand how there could be a yearlong vacancy for the most important position at one of the most important agencies. I am imploring Governor Evers to appoint a DNR Secretary so we can get to work on the problems plaguing the department.
--Senator Rob Stafsholt
Last Update: Nov 01, 2024 4:37 pm CDT
