The Door County Pulse reported that lawmakers are finally moving a Republican proposal to renew the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program after months of inaction. The plan, split between AB 315 (policy) and AB 612 (funding), would reauthorize the program at $13.25 million per year through 2030.
The bills include one meaningful improvement: restoring a dedicated funding track for land acquisition, a core purpose of Knowles-Nelson. But conservation groups still flag two major concerns: new legislative review requirements, and language directing the DNR to emphasize management over land protection.
A Democratic reauthorization bill with higher funding levels has also been proposed, but that is not part of the committee’s discussions that are moving the GOP plan forward.
Featured image by RB Photo, 2023
