Departing DNR Secretary Blasted By Critic
The secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is resigning to take a job with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Governor Scott Walker said in a statement Tuesday that Cathy Stepp will become the regional head of the EPA's Region 7 based in Kansas City. Her last day is Wednesday. Stepp has been DNR secretary since 2011. Walker appointed Deputy Secretary Kurt Thiede to serve as interim secretary effective Thursday. Walker praised Stepp as a strong, trusted reformer. The secretary recently met with strong public pushback when she tried to end publication of the Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine. Stepp said the magazine was taking agency employees away from their core duties at the DNR.
Democrats and environmentalists were concerned the true motivation was to silence a publication that promotes science and writes articles on controversial topics like climate change. A former DNR secretary said the agency's outgoing leader will be remembered for "dismantling significant portions of environmental protections in the state of Wisconsin." Former DNR Secretary George Meyer said Stepp's move to the EPA overseeing Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and nine tribal nations worries him. He said Stepp's record is the worst of seven DNR secretaries he worked with.
Walker said in a statement that Stepp is a "strong, trusted reformer, who will serve the country well at the EPA." He lauds her for "placing a strong focus on customer service and common sense."