DNR workforce down 25 percent in budget cuts (AUDIO)

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has trimmed its services considerably to deal with major budget cuts.

The agency has lost approximately one third of its state funding in the past two years. Funding dropped from $30 million down to $20 million per year. That has so far resulted in the loss of around 100 uniformed officers, and 35 biologists. In addition, the agency has approximately 200 vacancies which cannot be refilled. DNR’s workforce is 25 percent smaller than it was two years ago.

DNR spokesman Mike Willis talks about some of his agency’s cost-saving measures.

AUDIO: Willis on what DNR has cut out (1:14) 

Willis says statewide DNR has 1.1 million acres of wildlife management area property.

During a normal year these lands are open to the public for hunting and fishing. When times are good we conduct intensive management on these properties, everything from burning the land under a prescribed fire, to planting a wildlife food crop, to stocking fish in our state lakes. All of that has been cut back and some of it has been eliminated altogether.

Willis says the next fiscal year is not a pretty picture either and he expects further cuts.

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