By Bruce Ross, Executive Director
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s August, 2020 Newsletter edition.
Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program – one of the country’s strongest conservation initiatives is at risk of expiring due to legislative and administration inaction. And with its expiration, Wisconsin’s primary funding model for the protection and restoration of lands important to wildlife will disappear.
- Since 1989, the K-N Stewardship program has provided funds to acquire or protect over 690,000 acres of public land accessible to hunters, anglers and other recreators.
- Now more than ever, outdoor spaces are important to Wisconsinites. Spring turkey tags were up nearly 10%, fishing license sales were up by 100,000 (almost 30%!), and campgrounds are fuller than ever before. Lands procured or maintained with K-N funding support these activities.
- But Knowles-Nelson does more than pay for land purchases. It funds trail building, campground development, trails signs, boat launches, and more. We have to take care of the land we have protected and Stewardship helps us do that.
- The K-N Stewardship program costs each Wisconsin resident about $15 / year. That’s a really good deal.
- We must be careful with state dollars, but Stewardship is a tiny fraction of Wisconsin’s debt, only 2%. The Stewardship program is an investment in Wisconsin’s future.