Wisconsin Climate Change Critic Cathy Stepp Joins Trump's EPA

MADISON, WI — Former construction company owner, Wisconsin DNR chair and noted climate change critic Cathy Stepp has taken a post with President Donald Trump's administration, and will serve in the Environmental Protection Agency in the Midwest.

Wisconsin DNR Chair Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary Cathy Stepp is leaving her state post to accept an appointment as a deputy administrator with the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 7 - which covers Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

“Cathy is a strong, trusted reformer who will serve the country well at the EPA. As DNR secretary since 2011, she has led an outstanding workforce committed to preserving and promoting our natural resources while placing a strong focus on customer service and common sense," Gov. Scott Walker said in a prepared statement. "We will miss her optimism and energy at the DNR, and we wish her success in her new role.”

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce Senior Vice President of Government Relations Scott Manley released the following statement regarding the announcement of DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp's appointment to the EPA as Deputy Administrator for Region 7: "Secretary Stepp used her significant private sector experience to improve the Department and make it more accountable all while ensuring it continued to serve its vital mission to the people of Wisconsin. Her leadership at DNR has left a lasting legacy that will benefit our state for years to come."

Not everyone will miss her, though.

According to a WEAU report out of Eau Claire, Former DNR Secretary George Meyer says Stepp's record is the worst of seven DNR secretaries he worked with.

Also See: Trump Scraps Federal Climate Change Advisory Panel

Climate Change Concerns

In a Madison.com report, Stepp said she wasn’t aware of Donald Trump’s positions on climate change and the environment when she campaigned for him in Wisconsin during the 2016 presidential campaign season.

Trump notably tweeted that climate change was a Chinese hoax and he has called for dismantling the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Stepp has drawn fire from environmental activists in Wisconsin after climate change language on the DNR's website was stripped from its pages online.

In a Madison.com report, Stepp claims the web site was changed because a writer for a state newspaper said climate change is unproven.

In a subsequent interview with the Wisconsin State Journal, Stepp said she believes there is substantial scientific disagreement on climate change, and that it “doesn’t matter” if her view contradicts the vast majority of scientists in that field.

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