I believe a compromise is in order concerning whether the secretary of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) should be selected by the DNR Board or appointed by the governor.

First, I believe the selection process of the DNR Board needs to be reformed. Two members should be appointed by the governor with the approval of the Wisconsin State Legislature, two should be selected by the Legislature but subject to the veto of the governor, and three should be elected by the voters of Wisconsin. The purpose of having a combination of the board members appointed by the governor, selected by the Legislature and elected by the voters is to make the board balanced, democratic and fair. This prevents any one person, such as the governor, a group such as big business or corporations or an organization, such as political parties, from controlling or dominating a board or commission. All board members would serve for staggered three-year terms. They could be reappointed, reselected or reelected for a second term, but can serve a maximum of six years. After going off for a while, they could be reappointed, reselected or reelected.

The board should include two environmentalists, a hunter/angler, a forester, a parks and recreation specialist, a resource ecologist, and a historian/historic preservationist.

The DNR Board should submit a list of three nominees that the governor then can choose from to appoint as the secretary of the DNR.