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Committee presses DNR on delays in Little Rock Creek groundwater stakeholder engagement
Summary
Representative Steve Schultz and other members pressed the DNR for an update on delayed stakeholder outreach tied to a third‑party review in the Little Rock Creek groundwater management area; Assistant Commissioner Bob Meyer said the agency is committed to local engagement and will provide follow‑up on timelines.
Rep. Steve Schultz asked the Department of Natural Resources for a status update after constituents in the Little Rock Creek groundwater area reported they had not been engaged by a third‑party vendor hired to support local groundwater work.
“We are completely committed to working with the residents and the citizens in that area and making sure that their voices are heard,” Assistant Commissioner Bob Meyer told the committee when asked whether the stakeholder engagement would be delayed and whether DNR would adjust timelines.
Schultz said residents feared the process was being built on out‑of‑area models rather than local input. Meyer said he would “get back to you on that information,” and that if front‑end work is delayed the department would extend timelines on the back end to ensure adequate engagement. He said that Jason Mekel from Ecological and Water Resources would follow up with the legislator and that DNR staff were coordinating with local Commissioner Popp on ground‑level knowledge.
The exchange underscored two recurring themes in the hearing: committee members pressing for clear public engagement timelines on groundwater management and the DNR’s repeated assurance that local stakeholders and tribal governments will be included in planning and technical work.
No formal action was taken at the hearing; DNR staff agreed to report back to the committee with more detailed scheduling and engagement information.
