In “Reporter’s Notebook,” Door County Knock reporters share brief updates on previous stories and other tidbits of news.
At its April regular meeting, the Door County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution asking the state to take action to inspect and remove a stranded tugboat in Baileys Harbor. The Donny S. has been there since 2021.
The DNR responded to Door County’s resolution by denying it has the authority or funding to deal with the Donny S.
According to the board resolution, the Wisconsin state legislature and Department of Natural Resources have an “obligation” and “duty” respectively, to inspect and remove the vessel.
County and Town of Baileys Harbor authorities, as well as the Coast Guard, have asserted the tugboat is not their responsibility. Efforts by Donny S. owner Jeremy Schultz to remove the tug have been unsuccessful, and authorities have been unable to compel Schultz to continue removal efforts.
“Absent an indication of environmental harm, the department does not have authority to inspect the vessel,” DNR officials responded in an email to Knock.
The DNR also asserted that the responsibility for removing the vessel lies with Schultz, but “if another entity identified the financial resources necessary to have the tugboat removed, it is possible they could take responsibility.”
Funding appears to be one of the primary reasons the Donny S. remains where it is. Those in the shipping industry and familiar with boats of this size and type have speculated it would cost upward of a million dollars to move it.
“The department does not have spending authority or funds allocated from the legislature to remove abandoned vessels nor funds from any other source sufficient to have the tugboat removed,” the DNR’s email stated. “The department’s role is therefore limited to enforcement, investigation, coordination, and readiness to respond should there be evidence of environmental harm occurring.”
The agency also stated it is staying in “close communication” with local leadership and residents who observe changes in the vessel’s condition. If any of those changes indicates that environmental contaminants are being released, the DNR would evaluate whether it needed to take action under state environmental laws.
The Donny S. situation involves a number of DNR programs, including the Secretary Director’s Office, Public Safety and Resource Protection, and the Waterways Program. These areas need to coordinate in order to take any action, according to Benjamin Callan, Bureau Director in the Division of External Service-Waterways program.