The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has eliminated the head of its division of Enforcement and Science. That’s raising eyebrows among some Democrats, who say it smacks of a political power grab for the DNR Secretary, Cathy Stepp.
An internal letter addressed to “colleagues” from Stepp last Monday says the reorganization will mean science and law enforcement staff will report directly to Stepp’s office, instead of through a manager who recently retired.
The letter says it will “streamline” the structure, a word also used in the controversial iron ore mining bill passed earlier this year. Democratic State Rep. Janet Bewley represents the proposed mining area of Ashland County. “When we have too many direct reports to Madison it feels too much like silos,” she said, “like the individual branches of the DNR aren’t going to be able to communicate at a lower level on the ground, which has proven to be so effective in the North.”
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State Rep. Nick Milroy (D), on the Assembly Environment and Forestry Committee, says this is a political power grab by a Republican administration: “When you have a political appointee that you have to report directly to, that’s just a red flag for an employee that you need to do the bidding of your supervisor.”
“I would disagree with that assessment,” says DNR Deputy Secretary Matt Moroney. He says eliminating the Division of Enforcement and Science isn’t a big deal. He says it will save money and make things more efficient. “Secretary Stepp is in charge of the entire agency on it and I don’t know [that] how things are stacked gives her more power or less power.”
Secretary Stepp was appointed by Governor Walker after he took office in 2011.
DNR Sec’y Cathy Stepp, on reorganizing (8/19/2013)
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