Imbalance of Power: How Wisconsin is Failing Citizens in Conserving Natural Resources and Protecting our Environment 

The paper addresses the collective effects of state legislative actions, court rulings, and political practices that have undermined democratic processes and profoundly changed the way state government in Wisconsin operates.

Today, instead of a robust balancing of public interests among stakeholders, a small number of groups representing industry, real-estate, and some agricultural interests now exercise a high level of influence over environmental programs, with direct implications for the health and welfare of Wisconsin citizens.

The decade-long failure to take effective actions to address these issues is affecting health and quality of life and creating a growing financial burden to Wisconsin residents throughout the state.

The report includes these critical findings:

• The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board remains effectively captured by a majority of members appointed during a previous administration because one member refuses to step down 14 months after his term has ended.
• The Joint Committee on Review of Administration Rules in the Wisconsin Legislature holds an extraordinarily high level of oversight and control over the fate of environmental and conservation programs.
• Although they were once an important tool for managing a broad range of conservation and environmental programs, developing Administrative Rules in Wisconsin is no longer a functional process for addressing important conservation or environmental issues.
• A growing number of Wisconsin citizens are losing faith in the ability of state government to create solutions to our greatest environmental challenges.