DNR WATCH
Inside Governor Thompson's DNR

Natural Resource Accountability Project (NRAP)

DNR Watch Reports are aseries of research reports produced by NRAP which discuss Governor Thompson's political control over the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). 

The Governor has now appointed all seven of the citizen members of the Natural Resources Board which sets policy for the DNR.  In the 1995 state Biennial Budget decision, the Governor also made the DNR Secretary a political appointment of the Governor, making the DNR the subject of serious political influence. 

In the same Budget, the Governor eliminated the Wisconsin Public Intervenor Office, which advocated for public rights in natural resources and served as watchdog over the DNR and other government agencies.  Subsequent to the Governor gaining this control in 1995, many negative changes have occurred in the DNR. 

Each report in this series explores a specific example of these negative changes.  At this time, fivereports have been published: 
 

[August, 1998]  Thompson Defends Fox River Polluters Against Responsible Cleanup
[October, 1998]   Thompson's DNR Reverses Shoreland Zoning Enforcement
[October, 1998]   Thompson Sells Out Wisconsin’s Resources to Mining Interests
[December, 1998]  Thompson’s DNR Caters to Cranberry Lobby
[March, 1999]  Kohler's Whistling Straits Golf Course --- DNR Permits and Politics
[June, 1999]  1999-2001 Wisconsin State Biennial Budget
[February, 2000] State Workers Demand: Take Politics Out of Environment

The Wisconsin Stewardship Network (WSN), one of the producers of NRAP reports, provides a large amount of info about the DNR at http://www.wsn.org/politicizationofDNR.html. 

Natural Resource Accountability Project Members

Several environmental and conservation groups have helped produce NRAP reports, including:

Citizens for a Better Environment
Clean Water Action Council
Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Lakeland Areas (ECCOLA) 
Northern Thunder
Sierra Club - John Muir Chapter
Wisconsin Stewardship Network
The names of the groups which help produce a particular report are listed with that report.  CWAC supports all the reports. Report #1 was written by Rebecca Leighton Katers, Executive Director of Clean Water Action Council, 
phone  (920) 437-7304.


 

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