Walker/DNR privatization road show heads to Sheboygan
In his 'chamber-of-commerce mentality' state, Walker has a re-election campaign to wage, Wisconsin DNR management is there to help and Bucky is just a pawn in their game.
While the Wisconsin Department of Ag, Trade and Commerce Protection awaits a bigger Walker assignment in suffocating citizen input and environmental protection.
On Tuesday, the DNR ran multiple assembly line-style 'hearings' prior to the all-but-certain continuation or expansion of five large (among many) Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, (CAFOs), in manure-saturated, well water-contaminated Kewaunee County.
On Thursday, the DNR will run a hearing and a related meeting in Sheboygan - - again, on a schedule more for its own convenience than citizens' - - where a major Walker donor wants permission to fill wetlands, bulldoze dunes and otherwise convert a wooded Lake Michigan shoreline nature preserve - - and between four and twenty acres in an adjoining state park - - into an upscale golf course.
Other DNR hearings and reviews have led to environmentally-damaging permit permissions for sand mine owners and whomever else wanted some of the people's clean air and water which the DNR is supposed to steward, not broker.
The pattern of corporate favoritism shown by Walker and his DNR managers is indisputable, as noted here.
Though I must point out that at least some mines, manure, and other monied enterprises get some environmental reviews and hearings, albeit insufficiently - - while Walker and his GOP legislative allies went even further and exempted Foxconn from environmental reviews for planned, wetland-filling construction on thousands of acres of water-rich farmland in Mount Pleasant for offices, parking lots, production floors, transportation facilities, and perhaps housing and related smaller businesses.
Furthermore, if Walker gets his way, the DNR whose science and state parks' budgets he cut, and where inspections and enforcement actions were reduced will move its CAFO 'oversight' altogether to the Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection - - another state agency Walker controls - - and which works closely with Big Dairy and other industry groups which promote milk, cheese, meat and other ag production and marketing.
Maybe Miss Dairyland will show up at CAFO hearings after the transfer and pass around cheese plates.
While the Wisconsin Department of Ag, Trade and Commerce Protection awaits a bigger Walker assignment in suffocating citizen input and environmental protection.
On Tuesday, the DNR ran multiple assembly line-style 'hearings' prior to the all-but-certain continuation or expansion of five large (among many) Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, (CAFOs), in manure-saturated, well water-contaminated Kewaunee County.
On Thursday, the DNR will run a hearing and a related meeting in Sheboygan - - again, on a schedule more for its own convenience than citizens' - - where a major Walker donor wants permission to fill wetlands, bulldoze dunes and otherwise convert a wooded Lake Michigan shoreline nature preserve - - and between four and twenty acres in an adjoining state park - - into an upscale golf course.
Other DNR hearings and reviews have led to environmentally-damaging permit permissions for sand mine owners and whomever else wanted some of the people's clean air and water which the DNR is supposed to steward, not broker.
The pattern of corporate favoritism shown by Walker and his DNR managers is indisputable, as noted here.
Though I must point out that at least some mines, manure, and other monied enterprises get some environmental reviews and hearings, albeit insufficiently - - while Walker and his GOP legislative allies went even further and exempted Foxconn from environmental reviews for planned, wetland-filling construction on thousands of acres of water-rich farmland in Mount Pleasant for offices, parking lots, production floors, transportation facilities, and perhaps housing and related smaller businesses.
Furthermore, if Walker gets his way, the DNR whose science and state parks' budgets he cut, and where inspections and enforcement actions were reduced will move its CAFO 'oversight' altogether to the Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection - - another state agency Walker controls - - and which works closely with Big Dairy and other industry groups which promote milk, cheese, meat and other ag production and marketing.
Maybe Miss Dairyland will show up at CAFO hearings after the transfer and pass around cheese plates.
1 comment:
Thank you for bringing this to the public's attention. In Sheboygan, not only has Kohler asked the DNR to give them the OK to fill in globally rare wetlands on Kohler owned land, BUT they also want permission to fill in HIGH quality wetlands on STATE owned land. Why should Kohler be allowed to fill in wetlands on our State land??????
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