Readers of this blog know that there is a plan by the Kohler Co. to convert into a high-end golf course a water, dune and woodland-rich nature preserve bisected by the Black River near Sheboygan along Lake Michigan - -
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- - and that one of the issues raised by opponents is the review of the plan by the Scott Walker-directed 'chamber of commerce mentality' Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources without requiring the company to submit a formal permit application.
The plan even includes turning over for golf course operations at least four acres of land in the adjoining Kohler Andrae State Park - - a request likely to find a friendly reception at the DNR where, as we speak, thousands of acres of state land under DNR ownership - - public land, your land - - is being offered for sale.
While other big corporate operations like water-hogging, manure-and-pollution producing big feedlots and heavily-polluting frac sand mines are given kid-gloves' permit reviews and continuing 'oversight.
The grassroots organization Friends of the Black River Forest, one of several groups around the state which has taken on the burden of environmental preservation which Walker's DNR has intentionally forfeited, has continued to question the project and has asked DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp - - again - - for a meeting. Here is the text of the organization's request.
.- - and that one of the issues raised by opponents is the review of the plan by the Scott Walker-directed 'chamber of commerce mentality' Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources without requiring the company to submit a formal permit application.
The plan even includes turning over for golf course operations at least four acres of land in the adjoining Kohler Andrae State Park - - a request likely to find a friendly reception at the DNR where, as we speak, thousands of acres of state land under DNR ownership - - public land, your land - - is being offered for sale.
While other big corporate operations like water-hogging, manure-and-pollution producing big feedlots and heavily-polluting frac sand mines are given kid-gloves' permit reviews and continuing 'oversight.
The grassroots organization Friends of the Black River Forest, one of several groups around the state which has taken on the burden of environmental preservation which Walker's DNR has intentionally forfeited, has continued to question the project and has asked DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp - - again - - for a meeting. Here is the text of the organization's request.
Dear Secretary Stepp,Friends of the Black River Forest has been asking members of the DNR staff why theDNR has worked for the Kohler Company for 5 years without an application into theagency. We have asked why the DNR would take time to write a DraftEnvironmental Impact Statement on the proposed Kohler golf course withouthaving complete information on environmental impacts to present to the public. ADNR supervisor, David Siebert, has said the premature DEIS was released to getinformation out to the public, but he and others have also said upper management—that is, you—are the ones with the ultimate answer to this question.We have waited months to have record requests fulfilled only to have themincomplete.
The public has a right to know why you have allowed staff to put in thousands ofhours of work on the Kohler projects when you profess to be short staffed andunable to enforce regulations that would keep Wisconsin’s water clean anddrinkable.
Documents we have seen suggest a DNR very willing to move Kohler’s projectsforward because Kohler and DNR management wanted it. We have a DNR attorneyand current Deputy Secretary, Kurt Thiede, agreeing to mislead the Town of WilsonBoard so Kohler would get the entrance to the Tented Forest it wanted. The publicneeds to be reassured of DNR’s motives and actions.
Please notify us when we can meet in person with you to hear the reasons behindthe DNR’s fast tracking and financial expenditures on Kohler Company projects.Your staff has said you keep no records of staff time on this project. We find itdifficult to believe this information cannot be found, and we question an agency thatonly keeps such records for some projects—but not this one.
We had a meeting scheduled with you at about this time last year, but you wereunavailable at the last minute and we met with other staff. We’d like to try again.We await correspondence from your office setting a date to meet and discuss theseimportant issues to the taxpayers and environment of our state.
Mary FaydashCo-Spokeperson, Friends of the Black River Forest