Stakeholders urged to back Knowles-Nelson

Earlier this month Charlie Carlin from Gathering Waters spoke during a webinar with approximately 150 people in attendance regarding where the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund funding laid and what to expect as this legislative session winds down. In short, the future of funding for Knowles-Nelson is in question. Although the program would continue even if no decision was made, there would be no funding for grants to be given out for projects.

While the Democratic proposal has not been heard in the legislature, Carlin said, the Republican bill, Assembly Bill 315 and Assembly Bill 612 stalled in committee in 2025. In short, part of the issue is that some legislators, including Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander) and Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) have both said they feel there is already too much conservation land in Wisconsin, according to Carlin. Indeed, public land is a bit higher in the north than in the southern part of the state, as would be expected. Wisconsin had approximately 17 percent of its land in some kind of publicly accessible protection — a bit less than Michigan or Minnesota, but significantly more than Indiana or Illinois.

He also said, due to the tight margins from one side of the aisle to another, it is incredibly difficult right now to get anything done in the Senate. He said he felt there would be a large flurry of bills coming through the Assembly, allowing those legislators to end this legislative session showing their constituents they had done good work. 

While it was unsure how Knowles-Nelson may work through the legislature, Carlin called on stakeholders to file citizen resolutions with the Wisconsin Conservation Congress for the spring hearings. A sample resolution is available on the Knowles-Nelson website, he said. There are also full instructions regarding how the process works. While this process takes longer, he said, it was a way for stakeholders to come together and make their voices heard.

More information about Knowles-Nelson, how to contact legislators and how to get involved in the Wisconsin Conservation Congress process can be found on the website knowlesnelson.org.

Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].