Conservation Voters Endorse New Environmental Justice Office Print
Commentary
Written by Wisconsin Conservation Voters, Ryan Billingham   
Friday, 22 April 2022 14:04

evers-annc-earthofficeGov. Evers makes historic announcement on Friday establishing the Office of Environmental Justice


MADISON – Today, Gov. Tony Evers announced the creation of the Office of Environmental Justice at the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA), a state office that will work with and support communities that have been historically disenfranchised in the fight against climate change.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters and its members have supported the creation of this office in past state budgets, where it was unfortunately stripped out by members of the Joint Finance Committee. We applaud the governor for his continued commitment to establishing it via Executive Order 161.

Angelito Tenorio, Wisconsin Conservation Voters’ Engagement and Development Manager and member of the Milwaukee Environmental Roundtable, had this to say about the Office of Environmental Justice:

“Today’s announcement is historic and much needed. The creation of the Office of Environmental Justice was possible thanks to the collaborative work of the Milwaukee Environmental Justice Roundtable and Gov. Evers.

Both Wisconsin Conservation Voters and the Milwaukee Environmental Justice Roundtable thank Gov. Evers and his administration for its commitment to creating this office in collaboration with the communities most affected by climate change.

Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color have historically been left out of the decision-making process and excluded from the environmental movement. These communities are disproportionately affected by climate impacts and must be at the table when decisions are being made.

The Office of Environmental Justice is a vital step toward addressing the generations of harm done and to dismantling systems that threaten the wellbeing of these communities.”