"The Department of Natural Resources is dedicated to the preservation, protection, effective management, and maintenance of Wisconsin's natural resources. It is responsible for implementing the laws of the state and, where applicable, the laws of the federal government that protect and enhance the natural resources of our state. It is the one agency charged with full responsibility for coordinating the many disciplines and programs necessary to provide a clean environment and a full range of outdoor recreational opportunities for Wisconsin citizens and visitors."

Our Mission

"To protect and enhance our natural resources:

our air, land and water;
our wildlife, fish and forests
and the ecosystems that sustain all life.

To provide a healthy, sustainable environment

and a full range of outdoor opportunities.

To ensure the right of all people

to use and enjoy these resources
in their work and leisure.

To work with people

to understand each other's views
and to carry out the public will.

And in this partnership

consider the future
and generations to follow."

"Throughout Wisconsin's history, the well-being of its people has been tied to the well-being of its natural resources. The fresh water, fertile soil, clean air, vast forests, flourishing and abundant wildlife constituted the basis of life, livelihood, and recreation for many generations of native and newly arrived Wisconsinites."

"Recognizing that the valuable natural resources of our state could only be protected and wisely managed through a coordinated effort, the Wisconsin Legislature created the Department of Natural Resources in 1967. In creating the Department, the Legislature brought together closely related traditional conservation functions such as fish, parks, wildlife, and forest management and combined them with newly emerging environmental protection responsibilities such as water pollution control, solid waste management, and air pollution cleanup."