Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Commends Assembly for Strong Bipartisan Support for Conservation Integrity 9-22-09

For Immediate Release:
September 23, 2009
Contact: Kerry Schumann
608-661-0845 (office) 608-358-4040 (cell)
Kerry@conservationvoters.org

Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Commends Assembly for Strong Bipartisan Support for Conservation Integrity

Madison: Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters praised Assembly lawmakers for listening to the overwhelming voice of citizens across the state and voting in large numbers for an independent Secretary for the Department of Natural Resources.

Tuesday evening, AB 138 passed the Wisconsin Assembly 61 to 32, with two additional “paired” votes for absent legislators bringing the vote to 63 in favor and 34 against.

Representative Ann Hraychuck read a letter from a concerned citizen during the debate, which summed up well the feelings of many conservationists around the state: “Politics plays a role in nearly everything these days. But it should not-must not-play a role in the way we protect Wisconsin’s natural resources. Let science determine which wetlands to protect, which lakes to stock, and how to manage deer herds. Politics has no place in my deer stand or at my favorite fishing hole.”

For nearly 70 years, the citizen-based Natural Resources Board selected the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources. They chose the leader of natural resource management in Wisconsin based on a review of their natural resource knowledge and management experience. In 1995, that process was changed to allow the Governor to appoint the DNR Secretary.

Removing political influence from natural resource policy-making was recently selected as one of four Conservation Priorities by Wisconsin’s conservation community. In February, state legislators received a copy of the Wisconsin Conservation Priorities 2009-2010, which was prepared by more than 80 organizations representing tens of thousands of conservationists.

Visit The Conservation Vote Tracker (The Conservation Vote Tracker (http://www.conservationvoters.org/Public/voteTracker.php) to see how legislators voted on this bill.

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Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to electing conservation leaders, holding decision makers accountable and encouraging lawmakers to champion conservation policies that effectively protect Wisconsin’s public health and natural resources.

To view a copy of the Conservation Priorities 2009-20101, please visit
http://www.conservationvoters.org/