DNR DEQ Merger ?

[Jaackrabbit]

All I've ever known is the DNR.... don't know that much about the DEQ. But if it's a Granholm idea, I'm already a bit worried about it. What do you guys think about this?


[#000000][size 2]Is Now the Time to Merge the DNR and the DEQ? [/size][/#000000]
[size 2][#000000]Laura Weber (2009-06-22) [/#000000][/size]
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[url "http://media.publicbroadcasting.net/michigan/newsroom/images/3163637.jpg"][#000000][size 2] [/size][/#000000][/url]
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[size 2][#000000]LANSING, MI (MPRN) - [/#000000][/size]

[#000000][size 2]The state Senate is expected to vote this week on legislation that would combine The Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Quality.

Melding the departments would save the state six (m) million dollars. The plan would also hand Michigan's wetlands protection program over to the Army Corp of Engineers.

The House voted on separate legislation last week to combine the departments. State Representative Mike Lahti sponsored the plan. He says the state should reclaim the wetlands program from the federal government when it can afford to.

"I think the idea is it would be a good idea to stay with the state. But we need about a million and half dollars to do that," says Lahti, "There's no money there now - we're working on trying to get the money and hopefully putting it in."

Governor Granholm wants to combine more departments as part of a plan to reorganize state government before she leaves office next year.[/size][/#000000]
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[Jaackrabbit]

Here is another article....

[url "http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/Articles-i-2009-03-18-69032.113117_Reunifying_the_DNR_and_DEQ.html"]http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/Articles-i-2009-03-18-69032.113117_Reunifying_the_DNR_and_DEQ.html[/url]
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[davetclown]

Department of Environment Quality.

its been around for years. long before grandholm. tho now they have a leach insted of full reign like they once had.

ever since ingler the dnr and any other department having to do with michigans natural resorces have been leached.

what she wants is to tie their hands even more.

I hope the next governer has the good sence to take the leash off so they can do their work they way the office was set up to do.

the way it is now, they need the city or townships permition to prossicute and order repairs to the environment... Thats just wrong...

By pooling offices together she gets to take more cash away the already crippled budget they have to deal with now...

She has taken money from the state parks and given it to privet owned parks like the metro parks in south east michigan...

I see no proplem with giving them money, just not the money from our state parks.[pirate]
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[lonehunter]

My thoughts are ;
They were the same entity once before and streamlining the spending by eliminating one department might be a good thing .
If us regular people have to live within our budgets I don't see why the government can't do the same for itself instead of demanding more taxes from an already over taxed public .

Property taxes by law go up every year even though property values have taken a real nosedive over the last few years , you can't even sell your house for what you paid for it in Michigan .

The old "too many chiefs and not enough indians " is what we have in todays government , time to get that problem fixed is way past due .

Replacing the head chief "s with moles on her face " needs to be done , I hear there is a petition to have that done floating around somewhere .

The government needs to get back to basic operations and phase out all those pork barrel entities it created back in michigans glory days .
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[davetclown]

I think you missed what I said.

michigans "DNR" has anual royalties from state owend oil reserves.

some one is trying to find a way to spend money elsewhere that what is susposed to be spent on game and wildlife stockings. habitat creation, and perchasing new land to be used by michigan sportsman on other state offices.

this means fewer fish stockings, fewer phesant stockings, fewer habitat creation, fewer park workers employed to keep existing state parks open....

the dnr budget has already been crippled by missapropreations of funds.... the last thing they need is to have is another department shoved on to thier budgets.

this will only lead to more sales of state lands and waterways that we have enjoyed for so long.

you know as well as any one about lands that have been stripped from sprotsmen by wrongfull land accquisitions. With the dnr budget stressed even further the dnr wont be able to defend our public lands from developers...

The DEQ is a joke pretty much any more, it cant stop any environmental crimes because their hands are ties politicaly.... Dont get me wrong they will ticket and fine you for dropping your ride in to the drink....[:p]

This is a bad idea.... Its about as smart an idea as making grandholm and ingler governor of the state of michigan.

I dont need a crystal ball to see what is comming down the road on this act... its just a who is going to pay for it thing .... and nothing else.....
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[lurtch]

id have to say..i beleive thats there reoson for merging..less red tape more streamline in decisions..bassiclly save money and get things running more eficiant..we dont know what goes on behind the scenes but it sounds good..well see
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[davetclown]

well, you guys know me by now, I just love to say I told ya so, and you know when I start saying I told ya so, I never shut up..... lol....

right now, there are three departments that work out of the same officess across the state, DEQ, DNR, DOC. only one of these departments are law officials, the Department of Concervation - Concervation Officers which are State police officers.

the DEQ lacks the athority to do its job becasue it is not a law envorcement agency and was stripped during inglers administration.

right now, the DEQ gets its pay vouchers from the Michigan Department of Waterways. as far as the DEQ goes, nothing will change reguardless to what any one is saying. they will continue to work out of local DNR branch offices across the state, and WE wont see any change unless we by accident see the pay check stub of a DEQ employee...

The DNR will only be hurt by this.... and then us and our tourest venues across the state.

right or wrong this is my opinion, but I have found I am seldome mistaken when It comes to seeing how our play ground keeps getting the short end of the stick.
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[davetclown]

I almost forgot to mention the thing that will affect you most by putting another depertment on the DNR budget.

it will substantualy raise hunting and fishing licenses and state park entry stickers...

we have enjoyed a relitivly low cost for our licenses due to the oil being harvested from our state lands. when the added department attachess itself to that budget you can bet your babies new booties that you will see sticker shock on our licenses like we have never seen before...

this is just another step towards pricing the adverage michigan sportman out of the feild and streams.
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[lurtch]

im to busy to do all the reserch..although im with you that the engler administration all but dismantled the dnr..i still think there a fox in the hen house just dont have time to look..well leave that job to you..im with you...what sounds to good to be true probly is deceptoin...
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[davetclown]

I just got this in my email from MUCC

aperently thay have the same opinion of this as I do.

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[size 3]Once again, Michigan's governor is attempting further inject politics into the management of Michigan's natural resources. Last week, Governor Granholm issued an Executive Order ([url "http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102768711723&s=17406&e=001RDh0DSy_cR7_XoUpQWIYYssAVziVUYd0RNTTox-BjlVwRnS-CJ_6K6Jf6TeTy5G2_UW82jxUJOf2M8dDLpX_TZwY-GIYuBExAlN4dQowA9ISWwCUy9sW3a-6aeM_Lwa0Z7aaz6Q4U0bDLGydjt6OEUVxG7fl48w0YyrdB4C8AIGbOoA8CfcLFkK4ZVmrfsdFxRTB3dOdh9g="]Executive Order 45 of 2009[/url]) that combines the DNR and DEQ, but strips the Natural Resources Commission's (NRC) ability to appoint the Department director, a move that severely erodes the transparency of decision-making within the new Department of Natural Resources & Environment (DNRE). Currently the NRC appoints the director of the Department in an open process. This Executive Order (EO) would remove that authority, allowing the Governor to appoint the Director. The EO also removes the authority of the NRC to implement policies and procedures for the Department.

While combining the DNR and DEQ creates a great opportunity to improve resource management, with one swipe of a pen, the fundamental principals of Proposal G and science-based management of Michigan's natural resources will be severely eroded. This move puts more politics into the management of Michigan's natural resources, which completely undermines the purpose of creating a more effective Department. Removing politics from resource management was the collective goal of MUCC's founding members - it's time to bring that spirit all the way back from 1937 to Michigan's capitol.

In order to minimize the amount of political influence on resource management and retain the NRC's authority to appoint the director, there are two solutions: [/size][size 2][size 3]

(1) The Governor herself must rescind the Executive Order and change the provisions;[/size][/size][size 3]
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[ul][li][size 3]The only way to convince the Governor to re-write the EO is to place legislative and political pressure on her to do so. Sportsmen and women must contact their state representatives and senators to make this happen.[/size][/li][/ul][size 3](2) Both the House and Senate must pass resolutions that send the Executive Order back to the Governor.[/size]


[ul][li][size 3]Resolutions to reject the EO have already been introduced in the House and Senate[/size]
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[size 6]TAKE ACTION[/size]

[size 3]Call or write your state representative and state senator and tell them that combining the DNR and DEQ is an opportunity to create a better Department, not to put politics above science in the management of Michigan's natural resources. Ask your elected lawmakers for their support, but also ask your state representative to specifically ask House Speaker Andy Dillon to bring a resolution up for a vote.

Find contact information for your state representative [url "http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102768711723&s=17406&e=001RDh0DSy_cR6yRfGLHvoNjA-1-ppp4T1P9NbuLOqQ25hEJGHe5kUL9zPfQlEmXkksmtMb6tnjC-Zqy9-044km_mgKHElrUyVenu5GNzdAEg3FaJJ1dkLpQCmpqtl208yE-jejn4NxCBE="]HERE[/url]

Find contact information for your state state senator [url "http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102768711723&s=17406&e=001RDh0DSy_cR5vA6LsL-6vd9DNo1Q0fU60RcDFG5OtFb_TA2WQsGWN1rCRU_Ol2W8Yfql57PV76cICVG7oAr2hvVguDlOg5Mx1p6pTElyCClWAwxCz_JAzlQ=="]HERE[/url]
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[size 5]Talking Points
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[size 3]The Executive Order 45 of 2009:[/size]


[ul][li][size 2][size 3]Reduces transparency - The EO reduces the transparency, openness and accessibility of the department. Hiring the director will now take place at the executive level and policies and procedures no longer have to move through the NRC. Transparency, openness and accessibility should be increasing, not the other way around.[/size][/size][/li][/ul]
[ul][li][size 2][size 3]Promotes a non-working structure - The new set-up of the Department would be very like the current DEQ, a structure no one thinks is working. Why would the state merge two departments and choose the structure very few people are happy with?[/size][/size][/li][/ul]
[ul][li][size 2][size 3]Puts politics above resource management/Proposal G - It is not the "idea" of bringing the departments together that we're trying to "overturn." However, MUCC's vision for a new department is "removing politics from resource management" as much as possible. This is what Proposal G was all about - Michigan citizens do not want politics and the popular vote to dictate resource management. This gubernatorial appointment puts more partisan politics into natural resource management by removing the buffer of the bipartisan NRC.
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[ul][li][size 2][size 3]While the current NRC is surely "political" and far from perfect, giving the executive office control over the NRC and the department director will make the new DNRE entirely accountable to a politically-motivated executive. Vesting a politician with complete authority over the new department is the exact opposite direction we should be taking to move the new Department in the right direction.[/size][/size][/li][/ul][/li][/ul]
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[lonehunter]

Did you see the new DNR website ?
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