MADISON - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Cathy Stepp said Nov. 29 she would listen to a proposal to sell DNR-owned land as a way to infuse cash into the agency's budget.Remember this precisely why Walker said he chose Stepp to run the agency she had been bashing.
Speaking at the Dairy Business Association's Business Conference, Stepp responded affirmatively to a proposal by Emerald dairy farmer John Vrieze, who suggested that DBA members across the state should come up with a list of properties that are not environmentally sensitive that the DNR could sell and return to the tax roll....
"We have land we can't manage now and we're buying more," Stepp said. "That would be like saying to my husband, ‘We have a house with a really leaky roof, but let's go buy a vacation home.' It's about ... making sure we take care of what we've got and then being very discriminate about looking at other unique opportunities. But let's really work on getting our house in order....""The Stewardship Program isn't a big pot of gold to go out and buy a whole bunch of land with," Stepp said. "It's a Visa card. Just because we're entrusted with this card doesn't mean we should go out and run it up. We should wait for those very precious, special purchase opportunities that come along."
And why three of the top people now running the DNR come from business and building associations.
And why the DNR will be used as a tool to put mines over clean water.
I absolutely knew this was coming with Cathy Stepp at the helm and King Scottie behind her. Why should Wisconsin be buying and holding properties like the Chippewa and Turtle-Flambeau and Willow flowages when those lands would be much more valuable as condo developments? Calling the state "broke" is an excellent pretext for all sorts of things the Republicans want to do, like busting unions, and dismantling social programs that serve all those non-job-creator types of people, and selling off the state's resources to private interests.
ReplyDeleteAh but what will the deer hunters and fisherman say about this? I've fished the Willow and it is indeed pristine Quetico "like" when water levels are up ( when down - well not so good or navigable). When you encroach on virgin deer hunting and fishing areas you're asking for trouble.
ReplyDeleteI say- let the deer hunters and fisherman know about this mother nature hater and see what happens.
Not only is willing to sell state parks but she is going to let the Farm Bureau tell her what land to sell off because ya know, they know about the land...
ReplyDeleteOoops. I meant DBA, not the Farm Bureau.
ReplyDeleteMost of the time when you smell a skunk there is one nearby.
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