GEOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY IN WISCONSIN: ARE WE HIDING OUR LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL BASKET?

Geology has played a significant role in the development of public policy in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS) scientists have provided information to policy makers in the state about such diverse subjects as managing groundwater resources, regulating metallic mining, and determining the types of materials best suited for use in road building. However, these contributions are largely invisible to the public and, surprisingly, to many of the policy makers themselves.

I will examine several instances of how geology was incorporated (or not) into policy decisions and how public the role of geology was in the policy-making process. For example, a major federal facility in south-central Wisconsin, soon to be turned over to the state, became an area of significant policy concern because of its contaminated groundwater. WGNHS geologic maps of the area provided geologic information that served a dual purpose: They not only helped investigators determine how best to remediate the groundwater, but also provided the substance for many public educational opportunities. At other times, our role has not been as publicly visible. In eastern Wisconsin, in the Green Bay area, WGNHS computer models of groundwater resources permit informed choices regarding groundwater protection. Statewide, our input about regional variations within stratigraphic units provided the basis upon which specific regulatory actions to restrict use of certain rock materials for road building were made. In these situations, our agency's role was to provide technical information that was typically not publicly recognized or acknowledged.

A universal challenge to the geologic community is to be engaged in the policy-making process: First, contributions to policy decisions must be fully grounded in high-quality science; second, that science should be effectively communicated to appropriate audiences; and third, geologists must be prepared to be misunderstood, under-appreciated, ignored, or thrust into the public spotlight, depending on the policy issue, public perception, or the whims of the policy makers. In Wisconsin, our experience suggests that the most important thing is to contribute good science to the policy-making process-no matter where it takes place: out in the open or under the bushel basket.