DNR chief promises to help business

MADISON (AP) - The new leader of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources pledged Thursday to streamline the process for companies to get regulatory permits and improve the agency's customer service.

DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp offered few details, but said in a statement that she wants to help companies move more quickly through the process of getting environmental reviews for projects. She also promised to work on job creation.

Stepp's remarks reinforced concerns among conservationists that Stepp and Republican Gov. Scott Walker's administration might dismantle hard-won environmental protections. Walker already has called for the Legislature to consider a bill that would exempt construction projects on small wetlands from environmental review.

"Taking a step back, as we look at the role of the DNR throughout Wisconsin's history, it has been and should be about protecting what's really great about Wisconsin: our parks, our lakes, our open spaces," said Megan Severson, who lobbies on clean water and park preservation for Wisconsin Environment.

Walker, who has promised to create 250,000 jobs in his first term, appointed Stepp as the DNR's chief last week. A former Republican state senator, Stepp has a deep business background. She has run a construction company and currently co-owns a trucking equipment firm with her husband.

She takes over an agency suffering from serious image problems around the state. Hunters and business owners alike have been frustrated with the DNR for years over what they see as overzealous, ham-fisted regulations on everything from deer hunting to pollution.

Stepp has called for a "culture shift" within the agency, vowing to streamline the DNR's permitting process and improve relations with the public.

Stepp was visiting DNR staff around the state Thursday and wasn't available for an interview, DNR spokeswoman Laurel Steffes said.

In her statement Thursday, Stepp said she sees her role as developing big-picture policies, improving customer relations and building relationships with outside groups. She said sustainable natural resources are crucial to Wisconsin's economy.

"It is the overall goal of (Walker) to create jobs in this state - good jobs that will keep our children here and give them a bright future," Stepp said. "And I believe that can be accomplished while preserving a healthy environment and natural resources for our quality of life."

She said she wanted to establish a team that would contact any company considering moving to Wisconsin to help them navigate the DNR's permit process. She stressed that companies shouldn't assume that every permit will be approved, but promised the DNR would help them make decisions with a "positive attitude."

She also plans to return to what she called management basics, laying out goals for the agency with regular progress reports - but she did not list any goals.

She also said she would ask DNR staff for suggestions on how to make the permit process more efficient and promised to lay out clear agency goals coupled with regular progress reports. She didn't elaborate.

As examples of good customer service, she held up the DNR's 7-day-a-week customer call center and the Green Tier program, which relaxes regulatory oversight for companies that set up environmental protection plans. She promised to expand those programs and "similar" efforts, but didn't elaborate.

Steffes, the DNR spokeswoman, said she had no further details on Stepp's plans. Jonathan Ela, chairman of the DNR's board, did not immediately return a message Thursday afternoon.

Shahla Werner, director of the Sierra Club's Madison-based John Muir chapter, said she supports efficient permits but worries that DNR staff would be pressured to approve them quickly, limiting the chance for public input.

"If the emphasis is going to be totally swayed toward business, it could come at the expense of local residents," Werner said. "We're definitely going to be watching."