MADISON, Wis. — On Monday, Democratic Governor Tony Evers announced his selection for a new leader at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Karen Hyun has been appointed as the agency’s secretary, bringing with her significant experience from her role as chief of staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) since 2021. Prior to that, she served as the National Audubon Society’s director of water and coastal policy and later became the vice president of coastal conservation in 2018. In 2015, she also held the position of deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife, and parks at the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The secretary role had been left empty following the resignation of Adam Payne in early November 2023, who lasted only ten months in the position. When questions arose about the lengthy search process for this new appointment, Evers’ spokesperson, Britt Cudaback, directed inquiries to the governor’s previous remarks without providing further clarification.
In January of this year, Evers mentioned that the Republican-controlled Senate has made the task of identifying a suitable secretary more challenging. For years, Republicans have criticized the DNR, characterizing it as overly strict in its pollution regulations, excessively focused on land preservation, and ineffective in managing deer hunting in northern Wisconsin. Since Evers assumed office in 2019, the relationship between the GOP and the agency has been particularly strained.
Fred Prehn, a policy board member appointed during the tenure of former Republican Governor Scott Walker, created additional tension when he stubbornly refused to resign from his position for more than a year after his term ended in May 2021, resulting in a Republican majority of 4-3 on the board. In October 2023, the Republican-controlled Senate rejected four of Evers’ five appointees to the board, while four others appointed by Evers are still awaiting confirmation votes.
Evers expressed his concerns to Wisconsin Public Radio, stating, “It makes it more difficult just to hire a DNR secretary. We’ll get somebody. We’ll get a good person. But to have that hanging over their head, and then having decisions being made by that person based upon ‘Am I going to be hired, approved by the Senate?’ That’s just wrong.”
In response to Hyun’s appointment, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu noted that Republicans are eager to meet with her to discuss her qualifications but did not indicate whether she would receive confirmation. In Wisconsin, gubernatorial appointees can continue in their roles without formal Senate approval until a vote to reject them takes place.
LeMahieu criticized Evers for the delay in appointing a new DNR leader, suggesting that having a qualified secretary might have led to the governor supporting a Republican proposal that sought to provide funding to tackle contamination from PFAS chemicals. Evers vetoed this proposal, arguing that it would have weakened the DNR’s ability to hold polluters accountable. Since then, both parties have been exchanging blame for the proposal’s demise.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic chemicals that resist degradation in the environment and are present in numerous products, from non-stick cookware to stain-resistant fabrics, and were commonly used in fire-suppression foams for aviation. These chemicals have been associated with various health issues, including low birth weight, cancer, liver disease, and a reduction in vaccine effectiveness.
