From: Aquino, Mark DNR Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2015 9:35 AM To: Hull, Scott DNR Subject: RE: 55 reduction comments on the radio Hope this helps for now. l?m available on my cell at 225.5862 ifyou want to discuss further or have any questions. Do we need to send a message out to staff at least conveying the main points that it is too early in the process to make any conclusions or potential reductions or any related potential org changes, and offer to discuss further at the next meeting at SOC afterJFC? Would this be best coming from you all or me to SS all? Thanks We are committed to service excellence. Visit our survey at to evaluate how I did. Mark Aquino Phone: (608) 275?3262 Mark.Aguino@wi.gov . . . From: Hull, Scott DNR 7 Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2015 9:30 AM To: Aquino, Mark - DNR Subject: RE: SS reduction comments on the radio Thanks Mark Sent from my Android phone using Symantec TouchDown 1 From: Aquino, Mark - DNR [MarkAquino@wisconsin.gov] Received: Thursday, 26 Feb 2015, To: l-lull, Scott DNR [ScottHull@wisconsin.g0v] CC: DNR DL 55 SUPERVISORS Subject: RE: SS reduction comments on the radio Hi Scott I left you a vm on cell-phone with a little more detail, but I can confirm the comments below. Cathy made these comments in response to a question from an NRB member duringJoe?s presentation on the Governor?s proposed budget. i tried to get some time with Cathy yesterday after the board meeting, but could not connect. 1 have a call in to her this morning to touch base. At this point i believe our position to be that: Reductions are proposed with a lot of process left before we have a final budget which will give us the answer that these reductions will be included, reductions will be less, or reductions will be more. As we have been . saying, too early to draw any definitive conclusions. As we discussed during the?management team meeting, we will go through some form of org change that will result in not having 3 Bureau of Science Services, in an effort to address the legislative perception of research not being well aligned with program needs and to attempt to maximize our chances of maintaining as much ability to conduct in?house research and consultation as possible into the future. I believe that we still have some options with regard 'to what those org changes may be including the "Big and Bold? option that you all framed per our discussion, as well as the option of distributing the staff to other divisions based on how well their work and expertise aligns with those divisions, which I believe you all have also been working on per our decision to focus on these 2 potential org changes. My take on whether we should share any detail on those options with staff was that the management team was not in favor or sharing just yet because of uncertainty of outcome of the final budget, as Well as having the "Big and Bold? details involving . other programs outside of 08555 with whom there has been no discussion at this point. However, my recollection of the Big and Bold scenario also involved moving some staff out of OBSS ?just far fewer. Please let me know if this is not correct. So, i will ask Cathy if any of her recent individual discussions with legislators in advance of her March 3 . appearance in front ofJoint Finance has changed this picture at all. We will aiso get another data point during her March 3 JFC appearance. I would suggest that we hold another meeting with staff at the SOC as soon as possible after herJFC appearance. When we get this additional info, I would appreciate all of your thoughts on what and how to present any additional info to staff at that point particularly with regard to org options. Thanks Mark We are committed to service excellence. Visit our survey at to evaluate how I did. Mark Aquino Phone: (608) 2758262 Mark.Aguino@wi.gov From: Hull, Scott DNR Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 6:49 PM To: Aquino, Mark - DNR CC: DNR DL SS SUPERVISORS Subject: SS reduction comments on the radio Mark, One of my staff passed on to me some remarks that the Secretary made on the radio this evening about SS reductions. l?ve copied them below. I have not heard the remarks myself to verify them. However, if they are true I urge you to reach out to staff and get on top ofthis. Further, I recommend that ifthe outcome of the science program has already been decided then we need to be up front with staff ASAP. Again, iftrue, these remarks play right into the narrative that staff have been suspecting. That the outcome of our program has already been decided internally and in fact there IS certainty about what will happen to the science program. Staff already have low trust in the administration and frankly are beginning to wonder if the management team are playing it straight with them. Scott ?Did you hear The Secretary?s support of the cut to scientists today, noting the hope for integrating staff into rest of agency and that there are scientists already throughout the agency. Heard on NPR on my ride? Scott D. Hull, Section Chief - Wildlife and Forestry Research Bureau. of Science Services Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 2801 Progress Rd., Madison, WI 53716 Phone: 608-224?7138 Cell Phone: 608-220-4140 Scott.Hull@Wisconsin.gov OLE Obiect: Picture'(Device Independent Bitmap) dnr.wi.gov - OLE Obiect: Picture (Device-Independent Bitmap) OLE Obiect: Picture (Device Independent Bitmap) OLE Obiect: Picture (Device Independent Bitmap) OLE Obiect: Picture (Device Independent Bitmap) OLE Obiect: Picture (Device Independent Bitmap) We are committed to service exaellence. Visit our survey at to evaluate how i did.