After more than a year without a secretary, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has named his pick to fill the top spot of the state Department of Natural Resources.
Evers announced Dr. Karen Hyun as his new DNR secretary-designee Monday.
Hyun has spent the last three years as the chief of staff for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Prior to that she was vice president of coastal conservation for the National Audubon Society; secretary for fish, wildlife and parks for the Department of the Interior; and served roles in the Department of Commerce.
“Dr. Hyun’s extensive science background and expertise working in fish and wildlife, shoreline restoration, and coastal management and resilience will make her a great asset to the Department of Natural Resources and to our administration,” Evers said in his news release.
Both directly and indirectly, the DNR often impacts the construction industry through rules and regulations on things such as water quality, air emissions, and erosion control.
Hyun replaces Adam Payne, who resigned in Nov. 2023 after only 10 months on the job due to personal reasons. Evers has complained at times since Payne’s departure that the GOP-led Senate has made it difficult to find a new secretary.
Senate Republicans did not exactly extend Hyun a warm welcome in their written statements reacting to her appointment.
“While Ms. Hyun’s lack of professional experience in Wisconsin and lack of experience with sporting heritage, forestry, and freshwater lakes is concerning, I look forward to getting to know her and understanding her vision for the DNR,” Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) wrote.
Felzkowski represents a large swath of the Northwoods, which depends heavily on hunting, fishing, and tourism dollars for its economy.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu referenced Evers’ veto of a Republican bill that would have provided money for landowners and local governments to take care of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater, which have been known to cause cancer and other illnesses.
“If the Governor had appointed a qualified DNR secretary after former-Secretary Payne’s departure, their counsel may have saved the Governor from that critical mistake,” LeMahieu wrote. “Taxpayers deserve accountability and transparency from their government. The Evers administration continues to deny them both.
“Senate Republicans look forward to meeting with Dr. Hyun to discuss her qualifications to serve as Wisconsin’s DNR Secretary as we fulfill our constitutional duty of advice and consent.”
Evers says Hyun will step into the secretary role on Jan. 27, 2025.
