As Wisconsin lawmakers look toward 2026, Senate Democrats say protecting the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program remains a priority, even as much of their broader agenda stalled in 2025.
In a year-end interview with Spectrum News 1, Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein pointed to Knowles-Nelson as one of the few areas where bipartisan conversations are still happening. She noted the program’s long bipartisan history, explaining that it was named for one Republican and one Democratic governor and signed into law by Gov. Tommy Thompson.
“That makes places stay green forever,” Hesselbein said, emphasizing Knowles-Nelson’s role in keeping land open and protected for public use. “We’re hoping we can come to a bipartisan agreement on that. I am hopeful we can.”
Hesselbein echoed that message in a separate interview with WMTV15, where she said the future of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program is uncertain, calling its chances “maybe 50-50 right now.”
“If the stewardship program is going to be going away, we don’t know what that means for the state of Wisconsin,” she said. “If people want to sell their lands and have it be for green space in the future, for future generations, we should be able to do that.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Hesselbein said affordability and K-12 school funding will continue to dominate Senate Democrats’ agenda, especially with new legislative maps putting control of the Senate in play. But she made clear that the fate of Knowles-Nelson is part of that larger conversation — a broadly supported, bipartisan commitment that continues to shape Wisconsin’s landscape and quality of life.
Featured image from Wisconsin State Senator Dianne Hesselbein, 2025
