Mich. DNR-DEQ merger proceeds, but destination unclear

In the name of increased efficiency and amidst massive budget deficits, Gov. Jennifer Granholm issued an executive order on October 8 combining the Departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality and appointed a specialist in corporate “asset repositioning” to manage the transition.

The new Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment is scheduled to debut on Jan. 17, but some warn that organizational changes are being made too fast and without public input — and so far, the governors office is refusing to address questions about the reorganization.

In a Nov. 18 e-mail sent to all department employees and forwarded to Michigan Messenger, transition manager Bruce Rasher said that the transition team is “exploring four centers of excellence, the most basic responsibilities and high standards that are central to DNRE operations, program delivery and public stewardship: Natural Systems, Outreach/Administration, Public Assets and Sustainable Development.”

Rasher told staff members that “teams” were having meetings about these issue areas, “so that we can collectively identify the smartest way this new department can embrace the centers of excellence and set itself up for long-term success.”

“Additionally,” he wrote, “I am continuing to meet with natural resources and environmental stakeholders, doing my best to include their valuable input and vision in the discussion.”

Rasher encouraged employees to offer suggestions about how to rearrange their departments.

Rasher and the governor’s office did not answer questions about what groups have been involved in meetings about the new department. They also chose not to respond to questions about when the public would have an opportunity to review the plan and give input about it. They would not say whether the public should expect any changes in service next month when the departments are legally merged and had no estimate on what the combination of the departments is expected to cost the state.

Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd would say only that Rasher’s salary is $130,000, and the governor is expected to appoint a director for the new department director in January.

According to a document posted on the webpage for the new department a “high level redesign/reengineering” of the departments was to be completed Nov. 25, and the next phase of the process, scheduled to last until Dec. 23, is a report to the governor.

According to Rasher’s LinkedIn profile, he still works as director of Operations and Asset Repositioning for the commercial real estate giant CB Richard Ellis, where he “specializes in providing clients with a seamless, comprehensive consulting and brokerage services that integrates all of the strategies, analyses and tasks required for the successful repositioning of surplus assets, including: Facility closing, Decommissioning, Risk management, Real estate marketing and Transaction management.”

Before that he spent 16 years in management at Consumers Energy.

Morale among staff lowered by uncertainty

The more than 2,500 employees of the DNR and DEQ are waiting for information about what will happen to their jobs and work environment.

One DNR staff member who did not want to be identified in order to speak frankly about the situation said morale has been lowered by the uncertainties of the reorganization and the ongoing controversy over the executive order that set it in motion.

A DEQ employee, who also did not want to be identified, said via e-mail:

A member of one of the “centers” told me that Rasher told their “committee” or center or whatever they are … that he did not expect his “process” would produce an organization chart for 12 months after merger of the two agencies. It is not clear what is supposed to happen in the meantime…random wandering I guess. Nonetheless, most people are relieved that he is NOT really planning to do anything right away, random wandering being preferable.

Anne Woiwode, director of the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club, described state environmental organizations as “agnostic” about the reorganization.

Woiwode is among those who have had a chance to talk with Rasher about his plans for the transition process.

She said that she’s been told that the public will have a chance to review and respond to the MDNRE plan between Dec. 11 and Dec. 23, but state officials did not confirm this.

And she said that she is discouraged that the public has not been asked to weigh in on plans for the departments. She urged people to give input on what is important to preserve or change about the DNR and DEQ.

“One of the challenges we have is the inside Lansing nature of such a fast transition,” she said.

“Mr. Rasher has never been the average citizen trying to figure out why a wetland is being filled or a campground closed, or why pollution is moving in a river, or why fisheries are particularly good in one area,” she said, “As long as he is approaching this as a business and not hearing from owners he and the rest of the team are going to miss out on things they need to know.”

Woiwode said that the Sierra Club would like the transition team to post the comments they receive so that people have a chance to review the concerns of others.

She said that Rasher has talked about consolidating branch offices and that some are concerned that this could make it difficult for staff to respond to emergencies and eliminate opportunities for them interact with the public around the state.

“Efficiency is important but effectiveness is even more important,” she said, “One of our important thoughts on this is that they should take the time to do it well. It should not be pursued solely as a cost savings because it probably won’t be.”

Grenetta Thomassey, policy director at the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, said that her organization is concerned that a clear mission statement for the fused department has not yet been developed.

There has been discussion of various goals she said, but “we want to know to what exact mission are the goals aligned.”

Like the Sierra Club, the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council is concerned about lack of public involvement, she said.

Thomassey said that another concern is the transition team proposal for the new department to focus on environmental integrity rather than concentrate on permitting.

This could be a positive step if it involves managing ecosystems for the health of all organisms, she said, but budget reduction is cutting into the state’s ability to enforce and monitor the permits it issues and it’s not clear how a change in department focus will fix this.

Without new resources for environmental protection, state environmental groups worry that department reorganization could serve to distract the agency from its mission and lead to a dangerous weakening of ecological and health safeguards.