The Wisconsin State Assembly will vote today on a bill proposing major changes to the appointment of the Secretary of Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR is responsible for the preservation, protection, effective management and maintenance of Wisconsin’s natural resources.

Under the current system, the DNR secretary is appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate. The new bill states the Natural Resources Board, which exercises authority and responsibility over the DNR and sets policy for the agency, will appoint the DNR secretary instead.

The new bill also allows for secretary appointees filling vacancies to serve a full four-year term rather than serving the remainder of the vacant term.

Assembly Natural Resources Committee Chair Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said he authored the bill in an effort to remove politics from the DNR secretary’s position.

“Decisions should be based on science and what is best for our environment and not who contributed most to campaigns,” Black said.

Black added the appointment system was successful when the citizen-based NRB appointed the DNR secretary, which was changed in 1995 under former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson to the current system.

Former DNR secretary George Meyer said he is one of several former DNR secretaries who support the bill. According to Meyer, the last five secretaries served only two or three years of their terms, which led to significant disruption to programs managing the natural resources.

Lee Sensenbrenner, spokesperson for Gov. Jim Doyle, said Doyle opposes the change to the appointment process because he feels the DNR is more effective and accountable when it has the full weight of the governor behind it.

Sensenbrenner added Doyle believes that under the current governor-appointed system, there has been significant progress that would not have been possible without the governor-appointment method, including the Great Lakes Compact, which set up rules to reduce mercury and other pollutants by 90 percent.

Rep. Donald Friske, R-Merrill, said he also opposes the bill because the agency needs to be guided by the state for the purpose of responsiveness.

“It is essential the DNR secretary be accountable to the chief executive who is tasked to promote smooth, efficient and economical operations of all state agencies, including DNR,” Friske said.

Meyer disagreed with this criticism and said the DNR has great accountability because citizens can question the secretary every month at NRB meetings and challenge how the secretary is managing the agency.