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Environmental Quality Board adopts fiscal 2025 work plan amid capacity concerns
Summary
The Environmental Quality Board voted 11–0 (6 members absent) to approve its fiscal 2025 work plan and budget framework, prioritizing environmental review modernization, a climate calculator, water reporting and pollinator work; board members urged the plan remain adaptive to staffing and legislative directives.
The Environmental Quality Board voted to adopt its fiscal 2025 work plan on Aug. 21, approving a program‑level approach that prioritizes environmental review modernization, a climate calculator for project assessments, water assessment and policy reporting due in 2025, and pollinator and biodiversity initiatives.
Executive Director Katherine Neuschler told the board the FY24–25 appropriation for EQB is about $3.7 million (she described the agency’s ongoing base nearer $2.5 million) and that staff time and salaries account for the majority of the budget. She presented a project list that included guidance updates and training for environmental review (44.10 guidance), a forthcoming climate calculator and user manual (targeted for 2025), improved data collection and a public dashboard, participation in the Climate Action Framework revisions, and planning for the statutory water assessment and policy report due September 2025.
Board discussion before the vote underscored two recurring concerns: the ambitious scope of the plan relative to available staff and the capacity of interagency technical representatives the EQB expects to rely on. Multiple board members said the work plan should remain a living document that can be reprioritized if legislative directives or resource limits require it. Director Neuschler said staff are working to sequence agency requests and to provide clearer timelines for when tech‑rep support will be needed.
A motion to approve the resolution passed by roll call: 11 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstentions; six members were not present for the vote. The recorded ayes included Chair Nancy Daubenberger, Board members Bauerkemper, Brand(t), Hintz/Hitz, Holman, Katzenberger, Martin, Nelson, Smith, Commissioner Peterson and Commissioner Stroman (as reflected in the meeting roll call). The board will receive public comment on the work plan as part of the meeting record and will continue to refine timelines, rulemakings and staffing estimates as projects move into implementation.
The resolution directs staff to carry the adopted priorities into program planning for FY25 and to continue regular updates to the board regarding sequencing and resource needs.
