More than 1 million gallons of manure flowed from a small farm for months, say Marathon County officials, quickly filling a storage tank the size of a small basement, then trickling into a wetland and eventually entering the Little Eau Pleine River on the far western edge of the county. The fine? $464.10.

In 18 other environmental cases involving farms since 2008, forfeitures levied by the Department of Natural Resources have often exceeded $30,000. In 2009, one farm paid forfeitures and other penalties totaling $85,000, according to DNR records of cases tracked for farms under 700 milking cows.

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Environmental groups have complained about weaker environmental enforcement under Gov. Scott Walker's administration. Enforcement by the DNR under Walker was lower in the first three years of his term compared to other administrations going back to 2000, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

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Former DNR Secretary George Meyer, who has been critical of the agency under the administration of Gov. Scott Walker, believes the penalty in Marathon County was too low. While the agency has the obligation to consider extenuating circumstances, hefty fines serve as deterrent for others, Meyer said. "This is ultimately why you have forfeitures," said Meyer, who led the DNR's enforcement division for 10 years. "You can have hunting and fishing violations that are more than this." Meyer questioned why the DNR did not refer the case to the state Department of Justice. In such cases, if parties are found liable, penalties would be higher.