New DNR Office Designed to Help Wisconsin Businesses

Businesses and industries looking to build or expand in Wisconsin now have a new resource intended to provide enhanced and proactive business support to navigate through Department of Natural Resources rules, regulations and permitting: the DNR Office of Business Support and Sustainability.

The new office is designed to strengthen working relationships with key designated business sectors by supporting streamlining, economic development and innovation that yields both environmental and economic results.

The office will also focus and coordinate the department’s resources needed to enable economic development and support job creation, working primarily on businesses seeking to start or relocate in Wisconsin, and on existing businesses seeking to expand and key business retention opportunities. Routine permitting will be handled through the existing DNR regulatory programs.

Initially the DNR will focus on ten sectors in which to build relationships. Specialists have been appointed to work on: agribusiness; development, construction and building; energy; forest and wood products; green manufacturing; manufacturing; paper; printing; sustainable communities; and transportation.

The office was created by drawing together staff from the department’s Energy and Environmental Analysis and Cooperative Environmental Assistance programs. The director, Al Shea reports directly to DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp.

Partners from other organizations and agencies will play a key role as the Office of Business Support and Sustainability works to align sector work with initiatives from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Regional Economic Development Organizations and academic institutions to name a few.

In addition, under Executive Order 69, the office will also work to grow the Green Tier Program.

This post was origionally published by the Great Lakes Legal Foundation on its Regulatory Watch Blog.