Support re-establishment of an independent WDNR Secretary!		Help move the WDNR Secretary Bill to the floor of the state Senate. October 15, 2009

Dear Wetland Advocate,

As we have previously reported, Wisconsin Wetlands Association is one of more than 80 Wisconsin conservation organizations supporting legislation to reestablish the Natural Resources Board's (NRB's) authority to appoint the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. A bill to this effect (AB 138) passed the State Assembly in September by a large bipartisan majority, but is now hung up in the Senate. Please read on for additional information about the bill and how you can help move the bill to the Senate floor for a vote.

In This Alert
	· Your help needed NOW to move the WDNR Secretary Bill to the floor of the Senate! · Why WWA supports re-establishment of an Independent WDNR Secretary · Additional information on the need for the WDNR Secretary Bill

Why WWA supports re-establishment of an Independent WDNR Secretary

Wisconsin Wetlands Association believes that an independent (i.e., NRB appointed) WDNR Secretary is needed to safeguard the long-term integrity of Wisconsin's wetland protection policies and programs. We articulated our reasons for this position in testimony submitted to Assembly and Senate Committees when they hosted hearings on the bill earlier this year

Additional information on how we believe politics interferes with wetland regulatory decision making is available in our October 2007 Wetland Alert.

Additional information on the need for the WDNR Secretary Bill

The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters (WLCV) has provided critical support to the conservation community's campaign to re-establish an independent WDNR Secretary. Additional information about the need for the bill and updates on the status of this campaign can be found on the WLCV website.

Your help needed NOW to move the WDNR Secretary Bill to the floor of the Senate!

Thanks to the work of hunters, anglers, and conservation organizations AB 138, the DNR Secretary Appointment Bill, passed the State Assembly by a huge bipartisan vote. In early September, the Senate version (SB 113) also passed the Senate Committee on Transportation, Tourism, Forestry, and Natural Resources by a 5-2 vote.

Despite this momentum, the bill has yet to be scheduled for a full Senate vote. Opponents of the bill are working hard to keep it from reaching the floor, so legislators need to hear from their constituents that they would like to see this bill brought to floor for a vote.

If you support the re-establishment of an independent WDNR Secretary, please:

1. Email or write your State Senator (click here to find their contact information).
2. Email or call Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker at Sen.Decker@legis.wisconsin.gov or (608) 266- 2502.

The message is very simple: "Please bring the WDNR Secretary Bill up for a vote soon and please vote for it!"

Thank you for your help.

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email: policy@wisconsinwetlands.org

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