April 20, 2023 at 11:20 a.m.
Joint Finance kills funding for Pelican River Forest easement
The Conservation Fund has owned the property since 2021 and has been working with the state to secure the easements. The project would encompass 70,000 acres in all.
Some Republicans, especially state Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk), had already objected to the project, saying government owns and controls enough lands in northern Wisconsin; she reiterated those concerns this week, and, with fellow JFC members, took the DNR to task for not working with local governments to secure their consent.
To be sure, DNR secretary Adam Payne acknowledged last week to the Natural Resources Board that several towns had passed resolutions opposing the project and, as The Lakeland Times has reported, the DNR had those objections in hand, but the NRB was never told of the opposition before voting to approve project funding.
Opponents have also pointed to the massive amount of land either owned by government or under easements in perpetuity, topping 30 percent in many counties and 50 percent in at least one county. Those lands, critics say, can never be used for economic development and squeeze the remaining tax base, making living in those areas increasingly unaffordable.
Concerns also lingered over how much of the land would be actually kept open for hunting and for ATV/UTV trail use.
As she has in the past, Felzkowski said Tuesday "enough is enough," the Associated Press reported. For his part, JFC co-chairman Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) said the agency had mishandled the stewardship request and he said DNR officials should be "ashamed."
Meanwhile, Democrats were angered by the vote.
Sen. Bob Wirch (D-Somers) said he was disgruntled and disappointed especially because the project represents the largest such conservation deal in state history.
"I'm outraged but definitely not surprised that Republicans have denied state stewardship funding for this historic conservation opportunity," Wirch said. "They tried to stall the project indefinitely, hiding behind a loophole in committee rules. When called on it, they voted it down instead. It continues a recent pattern of Republican opposition to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, which is literally named in recognition of bipartisan support for conservation."
With Earth Day coming up, this is especially shameful, Wirch added.
In a statement, Clint Miller, the Conservation Fund's central Midwest regional director, said the Conservation Fund was disappointed by the decision.
"The Pelican River Forest project is a historic opportunity to advance the public benefits of retaining forests for the critical forest products industry and provide new opportunities for recreation," Miller said. "We are grateful for the overwhelming local public support and will continue working with the Department of Natural Resources to complete this important project."
Richard Moore is the author of "Dark State" and may be reached at richardd3d.substack.com.
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