Posted: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 2:00 am
Mike Ferguson
MUSCATINE, Iowa - Gov.-elect Terry Branstad on Monday named Muscatine attorney Roger Lande to head the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Lande, 74, a longtime hunting and fishing enthusiast, is a partner in the Stanley, Lande and Hunter law firm, which has offices in Muscatine and Davenport.
He said his e-mail in box "was filling up fast" Monday afternoon as word of his appointment spread. Lande said he'll bring "my love of the outdoors and of Iowa" to his new job.
But before he can begin work, Lande must be approved by two-thirds of the Iowa Senate.
He said he doesn't plan to spend a lot of time preparing for confirmation. "I plan to simply go forward with what I have and who I am," he said. "I don't think I'll be studying up any."
In some ways, Lande's law career and his interests have prepared him for the job. "A long law career is helpful. You try to get people to make reasonable resolutions in places they may disagree. And I guess your outside interests drive your interest" in leading the DNR, he said. "With Iowa's wonderful outdoors and its parks and recreation and trail system - and the rest of its natural environment - it's a wonderful place to be.
"We will try to market it and make it an even better one," he added. "I don't think we market what Iowa has to offer in outdoor recreation and hunting and fishing. And we need to continue doing all the good work we've been doing on the environment."
The Iowa DNR is responsible for caring for Iowa's state parks, forests and other natural resources. The agency also oversees various conservation and environmental protection functions.
The agency has almost 900 full-time, permanent employees, Lande said, as well as seasonal employees the DNR hires when the weather's nice.
Lande, a Republican, said he never applied for the job. He told Branstad's transition team he'd be willing to help the next governor "remake Iowa government."
"I anticipated being on a task force or a study committee on a narrow issue," he said. "This came out of the blue."
In a prepared release, Branstad said he "can think of no one better to be a steward of Iowa's precious natural resources than Roger Lande. Roger and his family have long been champions of conservation of Iowa's rivers, woodlands, greenways, prairies and trails, and I am confident that Roger will excel in his new role."
Not everyone supported the nomination. Verne Tigges of Carroll, board president of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, said Lande's law firm has ties to agribusiness groups such as Monsanto and the Iowa Farm Bureau.
"Lande must prove that his career work as an industry insider won't prevent him from fulfilling the DNR's primary mission to protect the environment," Tigges said in a statement.
Lande said to his knowledge his firm had never represented Monsanto. "I'd like for him to tell me what that was," Lande said.
Lande also said that "responsible businessmen and farmers want to protect the environment, because it's in their self-interest to do so. When there are problems, some people want solutions and some people want to fight. We are talking about clean water, which we all want."
Lande said he's known Branstad for more than 30 years, but doesn't know him well.
He said he'll learn more about his new job "from a lot of good people" who already work for the DNR. "I know I'll know more about the job six months from now than I know now," Lande said. "It will be a huge task, but I'm sure I will get a lot of advice from my friends in Muscatine."
From IDNR: PAT BODDY WILL REMAIN AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF DNR
DES MOINES – Pat Boddy will stay on as deputy director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), according to new DNR Director Roger Lande.
Boddy has served as deputy director since January of 2009 and has been the interim director of the agency since September when former director Richard Leopold stepped down to accept a position with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.“Pat brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to the DNR. She is a proven, capable leader who will provide continuity in protecting Iowa’s natural resources,” said Lande.
A licensed professional engineer, Boddy Boddy brings more than 25 years experience in the fields of water resources, parks and land management and communication management. She served as the director of the Polk County Conservation Board prior to joining the DNR and was the president of Boddy Media Group from 1996-2004.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue working with the DNR and helping the new administration reach its goals in protecting and enhancing Iowa’s natural resources,” said Boddy.
The DNR has more than 1,100 employees and an annual operating budget of more than $100 million dollars.
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