Bill > AJR132

This resolution honors the life and public service of George Meyer, a dedicated conservationist, attorney, and former secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) who passed away in December 2025. It highlights his upbringing on a dairy farm, his education at St. Norbert College and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, and the beginning of his career at the DNR in 1970, coinciding with the first Earth Day and the implementation of the federal Clean Water Act. The resolution details his significant contributions, including championing the Public Trust Doctrine to protect state waterways, developing strong wetland protection regulations, courageously confronting a militia group over land-use permits, and demonstrating exemplary leadership during tense negotiations regarding Ojibwe off-reservation treaty rights, leading to over 40 agreements with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. As DNR secretary from 1993 to 2001, he oversaw the acquisition of 142,000 acres for recreational use, the reestablishment of the state's wild elk population, the implementation of the nation's first mercury emission regulations, the cleanup of 12,000 contaminated sites through brownfields programs, and advocated for the reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. After retiring, Meyer continued his advocacy as the executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, founding the Wisconsin Conservation Leadership Corps to mentor future conservation leaders, and achieving a landmark settlement for solar power development near the Buena Vista State Wildlife Area. His legacy is further recognized by his induction into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame and his receipt of the National Wildlife Federation’s lifetime achievement award, with colleagues remembering him as an optimistic "force for nature" who treated everyone with dignity and respect. The resolution also acknowledges his surviving wife, children, grandson, and a wide circle of family and friends.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/asm/joint_resolution/ajr132