According to the Associated Press, the head of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is resigning next week after spending less than a year leading the agency, which has been at the forefront of fights over combating water pollution and hunting wolves.
Adam Payne sent a letter to Gov. Tony Evers on Friday announcing his intention to leave the agency on Nov. 1 and retire next year. Payne was appointed by Evers in December and began leading the agency in January.
Payne’s brief tenure was marked by efforts in the DNR to fight pollution from “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, as well as the creation of a new wolf management plan. The DNR board was set to vote Wednesday on the latest plan, which has drawn opposition as it does not set a firm population goal for wolves in the state.
The state Senate passed a Republican-backed bill last week that takes an alternative approach and requires the agency to set a specific population number.
The agency is also working with state lawmakers over how to tackle PFAS pollution. The state budget includes $125 million to address the human-made chemicals that do not break down in the environment, but the Republican plan for how to spend the money has drawn opposition from environmental groups and Democrats.
A Senate committee has passed the bill, which could come up for a vote in the full Senate next month.
The Senate last week also voted to reject four of Evers’ appointments to the DNR board amid ongoing fights over the wolf hunt and PFAS pollution, but Evers quickly named replacements. The Senate had not yet voted on Payne’s confirmation, but he was able to serve during that interim time.
