Friends of Buckhorn State Park marked this year’s annual Spring Fling with a ribbon cutting for their new accessible fire pit, funded in part through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. Former Governor Tommy Thompson, who signed Knowles-Nelson into law in 1989, was in attendance to help celebrate.
Each year, the Stewardship program sets aside $500,000 for grants for Friends groups, supporting accessibility upgrades, facility improvements, and habitat restoration that keep Wisconsin’s state properties running. Friends of Buckhorn State Park Board President Kelly Fessey noted that projects like this “simply wouldn’t be possible without Knowles-Nelson.”
Friends of Buckhorn State Park is a volunteer nonprofit that supports the 8,000-acre park, a peninsula on Castle Rock Lake known for its cart-in campsites, canoe trail, and accessible fishing pier. The Friends group also runs naturalist programs, candlelight hikes, and an annual photography contest throughout the year.
In addition to celebrating 30 years of work, Friends of Wisconsin State Parks presented Friends of Buckhorn State Park with their annual Hero Award, recognizing the outstanding work and vision they bring to supporting the property, park staff, and community.
The fire pit itself is located near the swimming beach, and the Friends are already looking forward to using it during ice fishing season, candlelight hikes, and many other events at the park.
