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August 19, 2013
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Department Leadership Team, I am excited to
announce animportant organizational effectiveness measure that will
take effect immediately:
The Division of Enforcement and Science will be eliminated as a
Division and its
component parts Law Enforcement and Science Services will report
to the
Secretarys Office.
As you know, Tim Lawhern recently retired from the position of
Administrator of
the Division of Enforcement and Science. As any healthy
organization would do,
the Department Leadership Team (DLT) took this opportunity to
examine theeffectiveness of the long-standing structure of the
Division to ensure it was
providing the best internal and external service delivery and
alignment to agency
priorities.
The DLT concluded that streamlining the reporting structure for
both Law
Enforcement and Science Services would benefit both service
delivery and
alignment of priorities.
Law Enforcement Our men and women in gray are perhaps the most
recognizedface of the Department. In addition to their conservation
and environmental
enforcement activities, they play a vital role in ensuring the
safety of our
recreational public, and respond to all manner of emergency
situations.
As a result of these important roles, a close working
relationship and
communication flow with agency leadership is critical. To
accomplish this,
effective immediately, the Chief Warden will report directly to
the Deputy
Secretary.
Aligning Law Enforcement as a direct report to the Secretarys
Office will have the
following benefits:
Enhances organizational communication;
Connects Law Enforcement directly to the DLT;
7/27/2019 8 19 2013 Wis. DNR Announced The Division of
Enforcement and Science, will be eliminated
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Improves timeliness of enforcement actions;
Enhances customer service at the community level;
Better utilizes fiscal resources;
Improves operational efficiency;
Eliminates duplicative relationships; and Is consistent with
other Law Enforcement organizations.
Science ServicesThe Departments highest priority business
decisions must be
informed by sound and up-to-date science. While we are proud of
the efforts
that the science branch of the organization has produced to
date, the Leadership
Team believes our Science Services program must be better
positioned in the
agency to ensure alignment of effort and funding to
priorities.
To accomplish this, effective immediately, the Bureau of Science
Services willbecome a part of the Office of Business Support and
Sustainability and report
directly to the Offices Director.
Aligning Science Services as a direct report to the Secretarys
Office will have the
following benefits:
Locates Science Services in the Office within DNR that hosts
other cross-
division programs;
Ensures research reflects the Departments priorities; Allows for
prioritizing funding to meet key research needs;
Provides a broader perspective on agency research needs (e.g.,
fish,
wildlife, environmental quality) and an opportunity for broader
public input; and
Maintains synergies that occur due to Science Services staff
being housed
together.
Matt, Gundy, Al, and I look forward to enhancing the vital roles
that both Law
Enforcement and Science Services have for the agency.
Cathy SteppSecretary
WI Dept of Natural Resources
Madison, WI 53703
