For 30 years, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has been protecting our lakes and streams, securing critical wildlife habitat, and providing world-class recreational opportunities. Let’s keep it that way.
The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program is one of Wisconsin’s proudest achievements. Since 1989, Wisconsinites have come together to care for our state’s land and water as well as build the trails, campgrounds, and boat launches that allow us to get out and enjoy Wisconsin. Knowles-Nelson is a rare bipartisan success story. It is an invaluable program that will continue to thrive only with a strong community of supporters who ensure that Wisconsin’s legislators continue to prioritize protected land, clean water, and access to outdoor recreation for every Wisconsin resident.
KnowlesNelson.org is a project of Team Knowles Nelson. We are a dedicated coalition of environmental conservation organizations, fishing and hunting advocates, trail builders, bicycle enthusiasts, and thousands of committed individuals. Our coalition is a remarkable example of how solution-focused organizing and advocacy can produce results, even in the most difficult political climates.
We offer KnowlesNelson.org as a comprehensive resource on Wisconsin’s Stewardship Program. Read about the economics of environmental conservation, learn about individual Knowles-Nelson projects, keep up on the latest Knowles-Nelson news, explore interactive maps, and join our team to ensure that we protect Wisconsin’s land and water so that nature can care for us.
Knowles-Nelson grants awarded to local governments and nonprofits, like land trusts, are matching grants. This means that every dollar that the state invests in a conservation project is matched by another dollar (or more) contributed by local governments or generous individuals.
Knowles-Nelson funds support land purchases, trail building, boat launches, playgrounds, picnic shelters, and more. Check out our impact stories for examples of some of the thousands of projects around Wisconsin that have been supported by the Stewardship Program.
But there’s a lot of work left to be done. Wisconsin lags behind its neighbors Michigan and Minnesota in the amount of land that we protect and the amount of money that we invest in public lands each year.
Wisconsin needs a robust investment in both land acquisition and land management in order to meet the challenges of climate change, to provide accessible recreation for all Wisconsin residents, and to support Wisconsin wildlife.
Image by Gary Shackelford, 2012.
If there’s a natural place in Wisconsin that is special to you, chances are the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has made it better.
That’s why we’re working together to make sure that Knowles-Nelson will keep working for Wisconsin.
We’re Team Knowles-Nelson, a diverse coalition of conservation organizations, sporting groups, businesses, and individuals committed to taking care of our state. If you love Wisconsin’s land and water, then Team Knowles Nelson is for you. We’ll keep you updated on our advocacy work, share success stories, and make it easy for you to reach your legislators with the right messages at the right time.
Across the entire state of Wisconsin, Knowles-Nelson provides funds to protect land, build trails, clean up our waterways, and improve our parks. Non-profit conservation organizations, local governments, and the state of Wisconsin all use Knowles-Nelson funds to care for our land and water. Prairies in the Driftless region, forests Up North, the Ice Age Trail, and the neighborhood parks in our backyards all benefit from Knowles-Nelson support.
But if we don’t speak up, Knowles-Nelson will go away. Join the Team and we’ll work together to keep Wisconsin beautiful for our kids and grandkids.
Evers’ lawsuit challenging legislative vetoes, which included the Knowles-Nelson projects ruled on in July 2024, continues to challenge Republican legislative power.
Top Republican lawmakers are signaling they might not approve new funding for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, despite an ambitious plan from the state Department of Natural Resources to add more resources for conservation.
The Town of Gibraltar protected 119 acres entirely through grants and donations.
Featured image by Ken Teegardin, 2011
Outdoor enthusiasts fueled record economic growth across Wisconsin’s parks, trails and waterways in 2024.
Tall Pines Conservancy has announced the permanent protection of 84 acres through the purchase of Metz Preserve in the Town of Erin.
A lobby day will be held at the Wisconsin Capitol on March 12, 2025 to advocate for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
Manitowoc’s $369,400 Knowles-Nelson grant is helping to fund a trail connection from Mariners Trail to Lincoln Park Zoo.
Wisconsin environmental groups brace for policy shifts as Trump’s second term approaches, with state-level Democratic control offering a potential buffer against federal environmental rollbacks.
knowlesnelson.org is supported and maintained by Gathering Waters, Inc., a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 39-1805090) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
CC BY NC Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Attribution: Gathering Waters
