Last week, we let you know that after nearly four decades of protecting land in all 72 counties, funding for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program officially expired on June 30. No new land protected. No new boat launches, trails, or playgrounds. No matching grants for the towns and land trusts that have built Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation economy for a generation. If you missed our last update, catch up on how we got here and what it will take to get Knowles-Nelson working for Wisconsin again. Read more>>
Knowles-Nelson may be on hold, but our work isn’t. We’ll be out at events this month growing the Team Knowles Nelson network and talking to lawmakers and candidates about getting the Stewardship Program funded again. Come see us tomorrow in Milwaukee or next week in Paoli — grab a sticker, say hello, and hear what’s next. (There might even be free high-fives!)
Keep reading to see where we’ve been and what’s coming up:
📍 Buckhorn State Park — Friends of Buckhorn State Park celebrated their 30th anniversary at their annual Spring Fling with a ribbon-cutting for a new accessible fire pit and sidewalk, made possible by the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. Read more >>
📍 Fair Meadows Sanctuary — We joined Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance to walk Fair Meadows Sanctuary with State Senator Mark Spreitzer, a 374-acre property near Milton that’s spent four decades being restored into a State Natural Area. Read more >>
📍 Hartman Prairie — We also joined Baird Creek Preservation Foundation for a site visit with State Senator Jamie Wall, touring Hartman Prairie, a Knowles-Nelson-restored property that’s now home to 26 species of migratory birds. Read more >>
July 15 – Lakefront Brewery Trivia Night in Milwaukee: We’ll be there to support Friends of Wisconsin State Parks and chat Knowles-Nelson at a Wisconsin State Parks-themed trivia night. Reservations recommended. Learn more >>
July 21 – Dine & Learn About Knowles-Nelson at Seven Acre Dairy in Paoli: Join us for a Team Knowles Nelson social! Connect with other Team Knowles Nelson advocates in person, and hear what’s next now that the program has paused. We’ll give a brief presentation at 5 PM, and it’s burger night at Seven Acre Dairy, so come hungry and bring a friend! Learn more >>
Wisconsin Examiner | Knowles–Nelson Stewardship Program Dead at 37 A look back at the program’s 37-year run and the legislative gridlock that ended it.
PBS Wisconsin | Charles Carlin on Knowles–Nelson funds expiring What the funding halt means for land trusts and communities across the state.
WBAY | Wisconsin conservation fund expires after 30 years How the legislative impasse over program renewal led to the expiration of the Knowles–Nelson.
WKOW | Knowles–Nelson conservation program expires Reactions on Knowles–Nelson’s expiration from state legislators on both sides of the aisle.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Reader opinion on Knowles–Nelson, conservation, and legislators A reader’s letter to the editor on what Wisconsinites stand to lose without a funded Stewardship Program.
The Center Square | Fingers Pointed Politically as Knowles–Nelson Stewardship Funding Ends The political back-and-forth behind the lapse, including competing bills from Republicans and Democrats.
The Telegraph Herald | Southwest Wisconsin impacted by expiration of Knowles–Nelson Stewardship Program Local land trusts and Platteville trail projects face funding gaps and delays as a result of the lapse.
