Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources leaders are seeking new ways to ensure that they retain crucial institutional knowledge as they unveil a reorganization to wary employees amid a wave of retirements that now includes high-profile managers. DNR shortcomings in hiring and training new workers came to light in June when a state audit linked them to flaws in DNR enforcement of laws aimed at preventing pollution of lakes, streams and drinking water.

At the DNR, there were almost 40 percent more retirements from 2011 to 2015 compared to 2006-2010. In the latter five years, there were 806 retirements in a department with about 2,500 full-time employees.