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After interviewing Hassett twice by telephone, I believe he is.
"I think when I'm out talking to conservation groups, they are going to know in two minutes that I am one of them," said Hassett, who replaces Darrell Bazzell as DNR secretary on Monday.
Hassett describes himself as a hook and bullet guy, adding that his feet also have trotted into the environmental arena, often in the courtroom.
Hassett, a 52-year-old lawyer and partner at Lawton and Cates in Madison, said he believes Democratic Gov.-elect Jim Doyle saw him as a balance between hunters and environmentalists.
Getting the secretary position was a dream come true for Hassett.
"This is the best Christmas I've had," he said. "It's the best Christmas since I got my first BB gun years ago."
Hassett never was timid about becoming involved in making decisions in natural resources.
"I've known Jim (Doyle) for 20 years, and he knew I was interested in this position as long as 10 years ago," he said. "I told him once that I'd love to be on the DNR Board. Then I thought I'd love to run that agency."
Hassett isn't ready to talk about what he calls three of the biggest issues he faces - chronic wasting disease, the Fox River clean-up and mining issues - until he takes over on Monday. However he did share some ideas about his passion for Wisconsin's natural resources.
Hassett is an avid archer and muskie angler. He shot a Pope and Young white-tailed buck in 1992, and his team, "Iron Men in Wooden Boats," won the World Championship Muskie Classic in Boulder Junction last summer. Hassett enjoys spending time in the woods before heading to work. However, he expects those experiences will dwindle, as will the time he spends teaching hunter education classes.
Anyone who listens to Hassett quickly sees that his varied background influences his ideas. He was born in Menomonie, Wis., has a degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, a law degree, has run a newspaper and likes to live in rural Wisconsin, although he currently lives in Madison. Hassett's wife, Chris, is an occupational therapist in Madison.
"I have a place in Jefferson County, a log home there, with deer, turkeys and waterfowl. We're moving out there as soon as our son is through high school in two years," Hassett said.
Hassett and his wife also have a daughter who is a senior in high school.
Hassett wasn't sure he would be the next DNR secretary until just before it was announced to the public.
"I had two interviews with the Doyle transition team and reference checks," he said. "It was all very close to the vest. I didn't know who the competition was other than what I read in the newspapers."
Hassett sees not having run an agency with 3,000 employees as one of his weaknesses, one he had to address during his interviews. Putting DNR employees at ease and working to convince some outdoors recreationalists that they need not be skeptical about the DNR are high on Hassett's priority list.
"I hope to do something to change that (anti-DNR attitudes), and I think I can," he said. "They'll recognize I'm one of their own, and I think that's a big deal."
Hassett plans an immediate tour of Wisconsin, visiting all five DNR regions, including the West-Central Region headquartered in Eau Claire.
"Most of the 3,000 employees are out-state (not in Madison). I'm going to talk to business people, industry and environmental people, too," he said.
Although Hassett has a lot of homework to do before jumping into CWD management decisions, he is clearly coming down on the side of using science to deal with the fatal contagious deer and elk disease.
"Yes. Yes. I'm in favor of eradication in that 400-square mile area," he said. "It's (CWD) a moving target, though. We need to see how the testing plays out and what we're looking at. I go with the science. I always come down on that side."
Jerry Davis is a free-lance writer. He can be reached at (608) 924-1112 or by email at sivadjam@mhtc.net.
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