Wisconsin: Citations issued by DNR wardens fall under Scott Walker administration
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/citations-issued-by-dnr-wardens-fall-under-scott-walker-administration-b99380301z1-280776312.html
Citations issued by state conservation wardens have fallen sharply at the Department of Natural Resources under the administration of Gov. Scott Walker, an analysis by a wildlife group released on Wednesday shows. Enforcement of all types of conservation-related violations fell 28% between 2011 and 2013 compared with 2003 to 2010, when Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle was in office. Citations ranged from a high of 19,474 in 2007 to a low last year of 12,393, records show.
During Walker's term, environmental groups have expressed worries that the DNR is not as aggressive in enforcing environmental and conservation laws as past administrations. DNR records bear this out, but agency officials say they remain as vigilant as ever. Conservation citations are often related to hunting, fishing, boating and the use of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. The agency says there are 2.1 million hunters and anglers and 1.6 million boaters in the state.
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But a former chairman of the Congress, Ed Harvey Jr. of Waldo, finds the drop a concern. He served on the executive committee or as chairman from 1995 to 2010. Harvey and Bohmann agreed that overzealous wardens have not been seen as a big concern. Said Harvey: "I have not seen a great deal of concern by this administration for sportsmen's and conservation issues, unless they were brought forward by a lobby group."
Enforcement activity by the DNR in environmental cases has dropped, agency figures show. The number of cases the DNR referred to the state Department of Justice increased from 24 in 2011 to 34 in 2012, and leveled off at 35 last year, according to DNR records. By comparison, in 2000, when Thompson was governor, there were 61 cases sent to the attorney general.
I'm sickened by the "Sportsmen for Walker" signs I see, knowing that Walker is hell-bent on destroying our State's fragile environment. Don't these sportsmen know that polluting our waterways and selling off our public lands is anethema to our outdoor traditions?
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