From: Liz Christiansen, Iowa DNR
Land Quality and Waste Management Assistance Division

Subject: DNR reorganization


You soon will be seeing news coverage about DNR's reorganization that
Governor Vilsack and Jeff Vonk announced Friday.  Jeff wanted to be sure
that you get copies of the attached proposed organization chart, along with
the explanation of it and a fact sheet. We are encouraged that this new
structure will improve our internal coordination and communications, service
to Iowans, and save money.  Feel free to give me a call or e-mail if you
have questions.  It will take legislative action to implement some of the
changes, but we are at work designing and implementing other changes as soon
as possible, and your input would be much appreciated. Please feel free to
call me if you have any questions.

New DNR Table of Organization - Definitions
12/6/01

Directors' Office:
* Deputy Director
    + Public Information & Education - I&E with new emphasis on marketing;
web master
 *Office of General Counsel and Legal Services - legal services and
environmental enforcement (current EPD attorneys)
 *Policy and Planning Coordination - special assistants on agriculture and
legislative/policy planning

Environmental Services Division
* Water Quality - water supply, water resources, waste water
* Air Quality - inventory, compliance and monitoring; program development;
construction permits; operation permits
* Geological Survey and Land Quality - contaminated sites, underground
storage tanks, geographic information, geological and mineral sources,
hydrogeology and environmental services, water monitoring
* Field Services and Compliance - (current EPD field office functions) -
inspections/assistance, monitoring, complaints
* Energy and Waste Management - (current Energy Bureau and Waste Management
Assistance Bureau merged into one bureau) - energy planning and technology
transfer, building energy management, waste management assistance, solid
waste permitting

Living Resources and Recreation Division
* Parks - parks and preserves administration and operations
* Forests - forestry services and state forests management
* Wildlife - wildlife management and research, prairies
* Fisheries - fisheries management, research and hatcheries
* Law Enforcement - law enforcement, recreational safety

Management Services Division
* Acquisition and Construction - land acquisition and management;
construction services and engineering
* Administrative Services - administrative services, office management,
licensing
* Budget and Finance - accounting, finance and budgets
* Information Technology - desktop and programming support/coordination
* Volunteer Program - volunteer coordinator and programs

=========
Iowa DNR Reorganization
Fact Sheet
12/6/01

Major Changes Proposed in DNR Structure

* Reduces bureaucracy: Reduces the number of divisions from 7 to 3; reduces
the number of bureaus under divisions from 21 to 16.
Rationale: Enables better coordination of similar functions. (See new
organizational chart.)

* Increases customer service: Over the next few years, relocates about 130
Des Moines office positions - mostly environmental jobs - to field locations
across Iowa (through routine employee turnover and voluntary transfer).
Rationale: Puts staff in more direct contact with Iowans and environmental
problems.

* Improves assistance vs. enforcement: Separates environmental legal
enforcement in the director's office from the environmental assistance
operations in the Environmental Services Division.
Rationale: Better assures that initial contacts on environmental regulations
are assistance oriented; legal enforcement only as last resort. By locating
legal activities in the director's office, assures greater oversight; and
enables quicker decisions.

* Enhances management: For example, in state parks, the supervisor to
employee ratio is currently 1:3 and will be changed to 1:13. With same
number of employees, but fewer supervisors, nearly all state parks will now
be staffed, offering more visible security and more service to park
visitors.

Savings

* Eliminates 4 division administrator and 5 bureau chief positions.

* $500,000 in salaries

Other

* First reorganization of DNR since 1986.
* Requires legislative changes; with approval, would begin July 1, 2002.
* Teams of DNR staff, with input from Iowa stakeholders, will design
implementation, including efforts to increase supervisor-to-employee ratio.
* Forms stronger foundation for agency development when increased funding
opportunities arise.
* DNR has 1,063.12 authorized FTEs in FY02; 911.8 are full-time, 151.32 are
part-time. 660.9 of these positions are currently stationed in the field.
* DNR's FY02 budget is $130 million.

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