Bill > SJR125

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 on December 10, 2025. The resolution highlights his upbringing on a dairy farm, his education at St. Norbert College and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 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. It details his significant contributions, including championing the Public Trust Doctrine to protect state waterways, developing strong wetland protection regulations, courageously confronting the Posse Comitatus militia, and demonstrating exemplary leadership during tense negotiations regarding Ojibwe off-reservation treaty rights, successfully establishing over 40 agreements with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. As DNR secretary from 1993 to 2001, Meyer oversaw the acquisition of 142,000 acres for recreational use, the reestablishment of the 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, he continued his advocacy as the executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, founding the Wisconsin Conservation Leadership Corps to mentor future leaders, and achieving a landmark settlement for solar power development near the Buena Vista State Wildlife Area. Meyer's 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 and family remembering him as an eternal optimist, a "force for nature," and a man of dignity and respect. He is survived by his wife, children, grandson, and a wide circle of family and friends.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/reg/sen/joint_resolution/sjr125