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Citizen Participation
State Closes the Door

"It's an insider's process now. There are public
hearings, but the decisions are made in
Lansing behind closed doors."
~ Dave Dempsey, policy director,
Michigan Environmental Council

By Hans Voss

(continued from previous page)

An Insider's Process
How is this new system working?
"It's the purest, most direct form of government," said Ken Silfven, press secretary for the DEQ. "The
people elect the Governor, and the Governor appoints people who make decisions."
However public interest advocates like Dave Dempsey, policy director for the Lansing-based Michigan
Environmental Council, say that despite appearances, the system now is set up to discourage citizen participation.
"It's an insider's process now. There are public hearings, but the decisions are made in Lansing behind
closed doors," said Mr. Dempsey, who served as Gov. James Blanchard's environmental advisor.
Moreover, policy discussions once held in open public meetings now are more likely to occur in "work
groups." These internal committees usually include citizens, but according to participants, produce results that
too often favor industry or development interests.
As evidence, Mr. Dempsey and other critics cite Shanty Creek Resort's effort to withdraw millions of
gallons of water from the wild Cedar River in Antrim County and build two golf holes across it. Only after
citizens and every major conservation group in the state voiced opposition did the DEQ hold a public hearing.
More than 200 people turned out and called on the agency to reject the resort's infringement on the river,
saying it was a violation of two important state laws.
The DEQ held its own internal meetings and issued the permits anyway. It took a lawsuit brought by
citizens and a temporary injunction by Circuit Court Judge Thomas Power to block the agency's action and
lead to a negotiated settlement.
Less Freedom of Information
Other perceptive assessments come from those who dedicated much of their lives to stewardship of the
state's natural resources. Don Inman, a 25-year veteran of the DNR, served under governors Milliken,
Blanchard, and Engler until retiring in 1997. Mr. Inman said in an interview that Gov. Engler's restructuring
has had a "chilling effect," and that agency leaders now are less willing to work with the public.
He also cited noticeable changes, such as how the DNR now implements the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA), the law that ensures citizen access to government documents.
Recalls Mr. Inman, who was the DNR's FOIA officer for five years, "When we received a FOIA request
there was an assumption that you worked for the public. Unless there was a specific reason, you provided the
information." But in the 1990s, he said, "there was a change in the whole attitude. It was always how to hold
back information."
Mr. Inman and his wife Virginia Pierce, a recently-retired DEQ official who has joined the Board of the
Institute, have organized the Michigan Resource Stewards, a group of ex-DNR/DEQ officials advocating for
stronger state leadership to protect natural resources. One of the group's top priorities is to establish a citizens
advisory board to oversee the DEQ.
(continued on next page)



	Citizen Participation State Closes the Door
		"It's an insider's process now. There are public hearings, but the decisions are made in Lansing behind closed doors." ~ Dave Dempsey, policy director, Michigan Environmental Council
	By Hans Voss
	(continued from previous page)
An Insider's Process How is this new system working? "It's the purest, most direct form of government," said Ken Silfven, press secretary for the DEQ. "The people elect the Governor, and the Governor appoints people who make decisions." However public interest advocates like Dave Dempsey, policy director for the Lansing-based Michigan Environmental Council, say that despite appearances, the system now is set up to discourage citizen participation. "It's an insider's process now. There are public hearings, but the decisions are made in Lansing behind closed doors," said Mr. Dempsey, who served as Gov. James Blanchard's environmental advisor. Moreover, policy discussions once held in open public meetings now are more likely to occur in "work groups." These internal committees usually include citizens, but according to participants, produce results that too often favor industry or development interests. As evidence, Mr. Dempsey and other critics cite Shanty Creek Resort's effort to withdraw millions of gallons of water from the wild Cedar River in Antrim County and build two golf holes across it. Only after citizens and every major conservation group in the state voiced opposition did the DEQ hold a public hearing. More than 200 people turned out and called on the agency to reject the resort's infringement on the river, saying it was a violation of two important state laws. The DEQ held its own internal meetings and issued the permits anyway. It took a lawsuit brought by citizens and a temporary injunction by Circuit Court Judge Thomas Power to block the agency's action and lead to a negotiated settlement. Less Freedom of Information Other perceptive assessments come from those who dedicated much of their lives to stewardship of the state's natural resources. Don Inman, a 25-year veteran of the DNR, served under governors Milliken, Blanchard, and Engler until retiring in 1997. Mr. Inman said in an interview that Gov. Engler's restructuring has had a "chilling effect," and that agency leaders now are less willing to work with the public. He also cited noticeable changes, such as how the DNR now implements the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the law that ensures citizen access to government documents. Recalls Mr. Inman, who was the DNR's FOIA officer for five years, "When we received a FOIA request there was an assumption that you worked for the public. Unless there was a specific reason, you provided the information." But in the 1990s, he said, "there was a change in the whole attitude. It was always how to hold back information." Mr. Inman and his wife Virginia Pierce, a recently-retired DEQ official who has joined the Board of the Institute, have organized the Michigan Resource Stewards, a group of ex-DNR/DEQ officials advocating for stronger state leadership to protect natural resources. One of the group's top priorities is to establish a citizens advisory board to oversee the DEQ. (continued on next page)