In the News
State legislature eliminates proposed DNR programs from budget
Other environmental initiatives also reduced, including Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
June 14, 2021
joint finance votes to renew knowles-nelson for four years
The Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance voted on June 10th, 2021 to renew the Stewardship Program for four years. While the vote essentially maintains the current funding of the Stewardship Program, the length of the renewal—only 4 years—falls far short of the 10-year reauthorization sought by advocates of the program. A four-year time horizon will limit the amount of project planning and execution that can be accomplished on increasingly popular sites like the Ice Age Trail and local parks and bike trails. Demand for outdoor recreation has skyrocketed over the past year and is only likely to increase in the years ahead.
This outcome didn’t reach the long-term goal that we were shooting for, but let’s take a moment to appreciate all of the hard work that went into this hard-fought campaign. Thousands and thousands of individuals across Wisconsin took the time to contact their legislators in recent months—writing emails, creating customized postcards, and picking up the phone to let lawmakers know how important land and water conservation is to local communities and to our state’s future. With your help, Team Knowles Nelson has grown to more than 70 organizations representing a wide range of interests.
Our coalition is a remarkable example of how solution-focused organizing and advocacy can produce results, even in the most difficult political climates. Our state is often hamstrung by partisanship. Our movement, by contrast, demonstrates that we can bring together Wisconsinites from all walks of life and across the political spectrum to advocate for protecting our land and water as well as building the essential outdoor recreation infrastructure that enables residents and visitors to get out there and enjoy our state.
We extend our appreciation to legislators who worked behind the scenes to try and build consensus with their colleagues and those who spoke up in public on behalf of Knowles-Nelson. We also thank Governor Evers and his staff for their thoughtful consideration of the Stewardship Program and their ambitious proposal to renew the program for ten years and restore much of the funding that has been cut from the program over the last decade. Without champions in both parties, we would not have the opportunity to celebrate this success for conservation in Wisconsin.
