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Wisconsin DNR confirmation fight brewing after chair refuses to leave

Posted at 2:22 PM, Jul 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-22 15:22:44-04

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democrats are demanding Republican lawmakers confirm Gov. Tony Evers' choice to replace the GOP-appointed head of the Department of Natural Resources board.

The battle could shape how the agency approaches a host of contentious issues ranging from this fall's wolf hunt to limits on PFAS pollution.

Former Gov. Scott Walker appointed board Chairman Fred Prehn in 2015, and Prehn's term ended May 1. Evers appointed Sandra Naas to replace him, but Prehn has refused to step down, citing a law that allows him to serve until the Senate confirms his replacement.

Republican leaders have yet to schedule a committee hearing on Naas' confirmation. Attorneys for the Humane Society and Center for Biological Diversity have asked the state attorney general to remove Prehn.

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