1998 Wisconsin Idea Award recipients announced

C.D. “Buzz” Besadny, former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Elizabeth (Betsy) Likert David, resource economist at the Wisconsin DNR, will receive the Wisconsin Idea Award in Natural Resource Policy at a banquet April 7 in the Memorial Union.

The Wisconsin Idea Award is presented annually by the School of Natural Resources in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The award honors those who have made significant contributions in natural resource policy and whose efforts exemplify the “Wisconsin Idea” of communication and cooperation between the university and government for the benefit of the people of the state.

As Secretary of the Wisconsin DNR, Besadny linked research to natural resource policy development, working in partnership with the University of Wisconsin’s research community. During his tenure, Wisconsin passed far-reaching laws dealing with acid rain, clean water, groundwater protection, urban smog, sewage treatment, toxic pollutants, wetlands and endangered resources.

As resource economist at the Wisconsin DNR, David developed a survey research approach to assess people’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding ozone pollution. According to the director of the DNR’s Bureau of Air Management, “Betsy was instrumental in designing a scientific approach for Air Management to use in analyzing people’s attitudes and behaviors. This approach…is instrumental in assisting us in designing an Ozone Implementation Plan that will be acceptable to people in eastern Wisconsin. When we started, people did not even know what ozone was, now we have an active Ozone Partners for Clean Air Program that incorporates voluntary control measures into our action plan and is recognized as a national leader.”

The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, in Tripp Commons at the Memorial Union. Dinner selections range from $16 to $25; please make reservations by March 30. For more information or to make reservations, contact Marianne Markgraf at the School of Natural Resources, (608) 262-8254.