Whether Scott Walker should discontinue the self-supporting Department of Natural Resources magazine WISCONSIN Natural Resource is the topic covered the latest "Insider Debate video posted by WisOpinion.com between former Democratic State Senator Chuck Chvala and counterpart ex-GOP State Senator Ted Kanavas.
Chvala says during the two-minute debate that the magazine offers important information and should be retained, while Kanavas ends with a predictable two-word summary: "private sector" after inaccurately dismissing the publication as "a fishing magazine" or a "hunting and fishing" publication that he claims is not central to the DNR's core mission - - "permitting."
More about that soon, but "fishing magazine?"
I bet Kanavas hasn't taken a close look at WISCONSIN Natural Resources, so let's do that here.
The cover piece in the most recent issue is a photo-laden story about Wisconsin lighthouses.
Also featured on the cover are stories, again with plenty of illustrations, about tribal youth summer projects and North American wildlife conservation funding.
Inside there is a detailed, 12-page insert about Wisconsin groundwater, a fascinating account of how working on forest preservation helps people improve their health, and subjects as varied as geology, woodlands and ice falls.
There are more than a dozen letters to the editor, a humorous account of an encounter with hibernating bear, dozens more photos of Wisconsin scenes and - - a recipe for fish chowder.
But does one fish recipe on page 29 or the 32-page issue prove Kanavas' argument?
Hardly.
Permitting is a DNR function, and Walker has elevated it under the "chamber of commerce mentality" management he has installed at the agency.
But the DNR has a far broader role, and its magazine, with around 90,000 subscribers and growing who completely support the magazine, does a good job - - obviously too successfully for Walker - - explaining and showcasing and strengthening the DNR's historic mission "to protect and enhance our natural resources...to provide a healthy, sustainable environment...to ensure the right of all people to use and enjoy these resources..."
Where would I get those crazy ideas?
From the DNR's mission statement, right off its website:
Chvala says during the two-minute debate that the magazine offers important information and should be retained, while Kanavas ends with a predictable two-word summary: "private sector" after inaccurately dismissing the publication as "a fishing magazine" or a "hunting and fishing" publication that he claims is not central to the DNR's core mission - - "permitting."
More about that soon, but "fishing magazine?"
I bet Kanavas hasn't taken a close look at WISCONSIN Natural Resources, so let's do that here.
The cover piece in the most recent issue is a photo-laden story about Wisconsin lighthouses.
Also featured on the cover are stories, again with plenty of illustrations, about tribal youth summer projects and North American wildlife conservation funding.
Inside there is a detailed, 12-page insert about Wisconsin groundwater, a fascinating account of how working on forest preservation helps people improve their health, and subjects as varied as geology, woodlands and ice falls.
There are more than a dozen letters to the editor, a humorous account of an encounter with hibernating bear, dozens more photos of Wisconsin scenes and - - a recipe for fish chowder.
But does one fish recipe on page 29 or the 32-page issue prove Kanavas' argument?
Hardly.
Permitting is a DNR function, and Walker has elevated it under the "chamber of commerce mentality" management he has installed at the agency.
But the DNR has a far broader role, and its magazine, with around 90,000 subscribers and growing who completely support the magazine, does a good job - - obviously too successfully for Walker - - explaining and showcasing and strengthening the DNR's historic mission "to protect and enhance our natural resources...to provide a healthy, sustainable environment...to ensure the right of all people to use and enjoy these resources..."
Where would I get those crazy ideas?
From the DNR's mission statement, right off its website:
Our Mission
To protect and enhance our natural resources:
our air, land and water;
our wildlife, fish and forests
and the ecosystems that sustain all life.
our wildlife, fish and forests
and the ecosystems that sustain all life.
To provide a healthy, sustainable environment
and a full range of outdoor opportunities.
To ensure the right of all people
to use and enjoy these resources
in their work and leisure.
in their work and leisure.
To work with people
to understand each other's views
and to carry out the public will.
and to carry out the public will.
And in this partnership
consider the future
and generations to follow.
and generations to follow.