Monday, August 27, 2018

Kohler golf course DNR staffer gets bigger job

The WI DNR's Bureau of Watershed Management deals with wastewater, wetland, CAFO and stormwater permitting issues statewide - - all controversial matters in the era of Scott Walker's special-interest-donor-friendly 'chamber of commerce mentality' DNR operation.

So is the promotion to Watershed program director of a recent agency public face and DNR point person f
or the proposed Kohler golf course-wetland-filling-greenlit project - - 

Contact information 
For information on the DNR's review of this project, contact: Mike Thompson
- - a publicly-spirited good omen for the project's progress through the courts, for other state land and water issues including wastewater permitting enforcement already delayed: 
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is still behind on reviewing a backlog of wastewater discharge permits more than a year after an audit found the agency wasn’t following its own policies aimed at preventing water pollution, the agency reports. 
report requested by state Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, shows the DNR fell short of its goals for reviewing municipal, industrial and concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) wastewater permits between July 2017 and July of this year. The DNR did not respond to a request for comment on the data.
In response Monday to a question, DNR spokesman James Dick said by email that Thompson assumed the Watershed program directorship on June 24th, and that the Kohler golf course project no longer had a sole contact person:
There is no longer a single project contact person. Programs handle any questions that might come depending on the nature of the topics.
For the record, there's nothing personal in my posing these questions.

It's just a way to think publicly about the big picture, as does the grassroots organization Friends of the Black River Forest, and others.

247-acre nature preserve, with wetlands and rare dunes,
might yield to golf course construction, including inside the adjoining state park. Steve Back photo.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am depressed about this appointment. Michael Thompson seems a person committed to making things happen for "customers" also known as rich donors to Gov Walker. I hope the new DNR secretary cleans house of these Walker loyalists after Evers is sworn in in January.