MADISON, Wis. — A group of Republican lawmakers is making a last-ditch effort to secure funding for one of Wisconsin’s largest conservation programs after warnings from GOP leaders that it’s on the chopping block.
The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has funded the protection of hundreds of thousands of acres of Wisconsin land since it was created in 1989 with bipartisan support. In addition to funding public land purchases and land trusts, the program helps pay for improvements such as boat launches and bike paths.
Watch: GOP bill would reauthorize disputed stewardship program
The conservation group Gathering Waters reports that more than 90% of Wisconsinites live within just a few miles of a Knowles-Nelson-funded project.
After a state Supreme Court ruling last year barred members of the Legislature’s budget-writing committee from using anonymous objections to block conservation projects, Republican leaders threatened to eliminate the program entirely. They said the court’s decision removed the Republican-controlled Legislature’s ability to hold the DNR accountable for its spending decisions.
But not everyone in the majority party is satisfied to watch the program die. A bill authored by Rep. Tony Kurtz would continue funding Knowles-Nelson, though with less money and more restrictions.
“What we’re proposing is not an agreed upon deal. It’s a first offer to provide a starting place for negotiations on this important program,” Kurtz and co-author Sen. Patrick Testin said in a joint statement seeking cosponsors for the bill. “It’s very likely the bill will continue to change during the legislative process, but it’s important to put something forward to allow feedback, have open-minded conversations and ultimately find a good a place to ensure the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program’s legacy continues.”
The proposal comes after dozens of conservation groups joined together to lobby in support of the program and constituents sent thousands of messages to lawmakers asking them to continue funding it.
Under the bill, Knowles-Nelson would be funded at $28.25 million a year for the next four years. That’s roughly $5 million less than the program currently gets and less than a third of what Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proposed in his budget plan.
The program’s current funding authorization expires in 2026, and if new funding isn’t approved in the upcoming state budget, the program would end.
The bill would also cap the program’s spending on land purchases to $1 million per project. Larger projects would fall under a new program requiring approval from the Legislature.
Those details brought mixed reactions from conservation groups that testified at a hearing on Wednesday.
“It continues the program – which is of utmost importance right now, is to just keep the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program going strong,” Brian Glenzinski, manager of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited’s Great Lakes Initiative, said.
Ducks Unlimited brought more than a dozen hunting and fishing groups from across the state together to sign onto a memo supporting the bill.
“It’s been a key program for us to provide access to hunting, fishing and trapping throughout Wisconsin, and more importantly it’s a critical cog in a machine that delivers conservation throughout the state,” Glenzinski said.
Cody Kamrowski, head of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, said he’s happy to see the bill but worries that decreased funding is still a step in the wrong direction.
“We would like to see it be what it has been in years prior,” he said. “There are an overwhelming amount of investments that need to be made in our natural resources in Wisconsin, and going back on our natural resources investments is a tough road to go down.”
Negotiations to shape the final form of the bill could come quickly as lawmakers aim to have a budget on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ desk by the end of the month.
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