The WI DNR's magazine, saved by citizens, will offer bonus Earth Day coverage

It's only right that in our beautiful state - - 

Lake Michigan in February. James Rowen photo

- - whose all-time environmental favorite son Gaylord Nelson gave Earth Day to the world - - that the Wisconsin DNR will have publish expanded 50th anniversary Earth Day coverage in its spring issue of "Wisconsin Natural Resources" magazine.

The DNR magazine takes an in-depth look at the 1970s environmental era and the defining event started by Wisconsin's own Gaylord Nelson, former governor and U.S. senator. 

Coverage is highlighted by a conversation with Nelson's daughter, Tia Nelson, who is passionate about continuing her father's work on behalf of the environment. Readers also can learn how to help to keep the Earth Day legacy alive through events such as Work*Play*Earth Day and other opportunities.

In case you had forgotten, or have yet to subscribe for just a few bucks a year - - subscription information, here - -  "Wisconsin Natural Resources" is the venerable, popular magazine that the wetland-filling, pollution-enabling Scott Walker and his climate science scrubbing DNR chief Catty Stepp had clumsily tried, but failed, to kill.

Basically, everyone loved it.

Except Walker and Stepp, who quietly, they thought, slipped a line or two into the 2017-'19 budget that axed it, purportedly to save money and streamline whatever at the agency, though in fact the magazine spent no money because staffers put the magazine out as an adjunct to their duties and the price of subscriptions made the publication self-sufficient.

It was already a streamlined, straight-line communication right to the people. So it had to die.

I'm happy to say that when word got out that Walker and Stepp were magazine-killers,  all hell broke loose - - in media, legislative offices and at kitchen tables and online all across the state. 

This blog took up the cause in February, 2017.

Though its costs were completely covered by subscribers, and the Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine had a long and useful run, climate change denier Scott Walker and his "chamber of commerce mentality" DNR mission-saboteur Secretary Cathy Stepp are using the state budget to wipe out the credible, high-quality publication that published items like this no longer wanted by official Wisconsin.

Walker and the DNR were bombarded with demands that they reverse their position, and after a lot of grumbling and fumbling, agreed that the magazine would not be killed, though it went from six issues annually to four....

Regardless, the people spoke, subscriptions spiked, Walker backed down - - though all the administration's garbage about 'serving the customer' took another hit when the DNR decided it didn't need to sponsor a rich exhibit annually at State Fair - - organizing was validated and, above all, the magazine was saved.