DNR Speaks Out about Merger with DEQ

Yesterday, UGN News spoke with the DEQ about its upcoming merger with the DNR.

The new agency will be the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, effective this Sunday.

Tonight, it’s the DNR’s turn to sound off.

This isn’t the first time the DNR and DEQ will have worked together, either.

The 2 agencies used to be under 1 roof until former Governor John Engler split them up 15 years ago.

A management team that’s still being hired will eventually determine who should be working where.

But that’s still a long way off.

DNR U.P. Field Deupty Stacy Welling says all the DEQ and DNR offices that are open now will stay open, and the merger won’t happen overnight.

If you want to follow along with everything the 2 agencies will do over the next year as part of the merger, she says you can do it online at www.michigan.gov/dnre .

All state government offices, including what will as of Sunday now be DNRE offices, will be closed Monday for Martin Luther King Day.

Today, the 15th, is Dr. King’s actual birth date.

If he were still with us, he would be 81 years old today.