Why are legislators preventing land purchases, and how can we create more transparency in the decisions?
Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund
The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, one of Wisconsin’s proudest achievements, was created in 1989 to preserve Wisconsin's land, water, wildlife, way of life, and future of expanding opportunities for outdoor recreation through state funding. The program thrives with a strong community of supporters, ensuring that Wisconsin’s legislators continue to prioritize protected land, clean water, and access to outdoor recreation for every Wisconsin resident. Non-profit conservation organizations, local governments, and the state of Wisconsin all use Knowles-Nelson funds to care for our land and water. The program provides money (mostly through bonding) to conservation groups to purchase blocks of land for preservation. So far, $1.3 billion dollars has been invested and 1,500 grants given to support local areas. “Every dollar that the state invests in a conservation project is matched by another dollar (or more) contributed by local governments or generous individuals'” (knowlesnelson). For preservation, nearly $11 million comes from federal dollars with remaining $4 million coming from the stewardship fund. Republicans have been trying for years to scale back stewardship purchases, complaining that “it takes too much land off the tax rolls, robs northern Wisconsin municipalities of revenue, and drives up state debt.” In recent years, legislators and private companies have started secretly preventing land conservation purchases to prevent the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program from completing its goal.
Examples/History
Recent examples of legislators preventing land conservation are The Pelican River Forest and The Cedar Gorge land purchases. The Pelican River Forest land purchase was one of the largest proposed land acquisitions in Wisconsin's history at 56,000 acres. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board signed off on the purchase of $15.5 Million, but this purchase was threatened by lawmakers who objected to the use of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to fund the remaining $4 Million of the proposed easement. Among the lawmakers who objected to this purchase are Senator Mary Felzkowski who is on the Joint Committee on Finance. The reasoning for this objection is that the 56,000 acres of land to be purchased and conserved are off limits to development indefinitely, Senator Felzkowski goes on to say that this is taking property off of tax rolls, and taking it away from the private sector leaving less money available for local governments in the area.
The Cedar Gorge Preservation was a proposed 131 acre natural preserve that would protect one of the few remaining undisturbed clay bluffs on Lake Michigan, an important feature that filters groundwater and serves as a resting place for many different species of birds found on Lake Michigan. This area of land was desirable for land developers who were looking to turn the property into a vineyard and winery on the bluff. The land valued at $5 Million was set to be purchased by the OWLT and was just waiting on the remaining $2.3 Million in funding from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship fund. This funding was objected to by an anonymous lawmaker on the Finance Committee, as a result of lobbyist Scott Meyer, hired by an anonymous interested buyer lobbying to the finance committee. (We had tried to contact the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust and Scott Meyer for more information on the event but did not receive detailed information). This objection resulted in the approved amount of funding via the Knowles-Nelson grant to be lowered from $2.3 Million to $1.6 Million, negatively impacting the purchase of the property.
Why is it Blocked?
Legislatures can currently object to the Knowles-Nelson funding which can get in the way of a project. Currently anything north of highway 64 has to be passed by the Joint Finance Committee, which is led by republicans, who then reject projects. The democrats on the committee have stated that they didn’t reject the funding. The committee has been trying for years to keep the project funding to a minimum. While there has not been an exact reason on why they are denying funding for the projects due to anonymous objecting, republicans are afraid that it takes too much money off the tax rolls. With the taxes it brings in revenue. Without the revenue from the taxes it can lead to not having enough money for providing services to the state. Furthermore it can end up increasing state debt if they use too much of the funding. The Cedar Gorge project didn’t get an explanation on why it was getting rejected; however, there was a buyer interested in buying the land, which would then lead it to staying on the tax rolls to provide revenue for the state instead of taking it off, which could be one of the reasons that they ended up rejecting the funding. Once the land is off the tax rolls it will remain off forever leading to hesitation to make the final decision to preserve it.
Tony Evers Bill
Tony Evers in a recent speech during the annual State of the State address on January 24, 2023, stated that the threshold needs to be higher to block land purchases with the stewardship for preservation projects. Evers wants to make it more difficult for the republican legislature to block purchasing of land by conservation groups and the state. Lawmakers and legislators are able to object anonymously, delaying or even killing crucial preservation projects. Republicans have been trying for years to scale back stewardship purchases, complaining that it takes too much land off the tax rolls and increases state debt. Republicans on the legislature’s finance committee, recently killed a state Department of Natural Resources plan to spend $15.5 million on an easement to preserve 56,000 acres of northern Wisconsin forest, $4 million coming from the stewardship fund. Evers also announced a number of other conservation related budget proposals on February 8, including, $4.4 million to encourage planting trees and growing forests across the state, $2.7 million to combat invasive species that damage Wisconsin’s forests, parks and other natural spaces, $6 million on clean energy and conservation-related job training, and has called for 100% of all electricity used in Wisconsin to come from carbon-free sources by 2050.
Opinion / Solutions
We believe that the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund is a crucial program in preserving Wisconsin's land, water and wildlife. We support the land preservations while republicans and lawmakers believe that supporting the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and land preservation efforts drive Wisconsin's taxes and debt up. The best way to resolve this conflict is to support the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Funding program and Tony Evers bill to make it more difficult for legislators to delay or kill crucial preservation projects for the environment.
Work Cited
Black, Spencer. “Op Ed: Anonymous Legislator Undermining State
Stewardship Fund.” Urban Milwaukee, https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2022/12/18/op-ed-anonymous-legislator-undermining-state-stewardship-fund/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs Is Protected and Preserved! | Gathering Waters. https://gatheringwaters.org/CedarGorgeStory. Accessed 5 Apr. 2023.
“Evers Calls for Higher Thresholds to Block Land Stewardship Projects in
Wisconsin.” PBS Wisconsin, https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/evers-calls-for-higher-thresholds-to-block-land-stewardship-projects-in-wisconsin/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Gov. Evers’ Budget Seeks to End the Practice of Anonymous Objections to
Land Conservation Projects – Knowles Nelson Stewardship. https://knowlesnelson.org/gov-evers-budget-seeks-to-end-the-practice-of-anonymous-objections-to-land-conservation-projects/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Grants to Friends Groups | Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program Grants Wisconsin DNR. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Stewardship/ApplyFriends. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
“Home | Ozaukee Washington Land Trust.” OWLT, https://www.owlt.org. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Knowles Nelson Stewardship – Protecting Land and Water in Wisconsin. https://knowlesnelson.org/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Schulte, Laura. “Conservationists and a Private Buyer Are Both Seeking a Pristine Slice of Lake Michigan Land. What to Know about the Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs.” Journal Sentinel, https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/06/what-know-effort-preserve-cedar-gorge-clay-bluffs/7360265001/. Accessed 5 Apr. 2023.
Stewardship | Wisconsin DNR. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Stewardship. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Watch, Jacob Resneck /. Wisconsin. “Pocket Veto: How Anonymous
Wisconsin Lawmakers Kill Projects.” Wisconsin Watch, 11 Mar. 2023, https://wisconsinwatch.org/2023/03/theres-no-transparency-secretive-pocket-veto-scuttles-wisconsin-projects/.
Watch, Jacob Resneck Wisconsin. “‘There’s No Transparency’: Secretive ‘Pocket Veto’ Scuttles Wisconsin Projects.” Amery Free Press, 13 Mar. 2023, https://www.theameryfreepress.com/news/there-s-no-transparency-secretive-pocket-veto-scuttles-wisconsin-projects/article_d5489094-c03a-11ed-b613-73b94c162194.html.
Wisconsin Legislature: 33.21. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/33/iv/21. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, one of Wisconsin’s proudest achievements, was created in 1989 to preserve Wisconsin's land, water, wildlife, way of life, and future of expanding opportunities for outdoor recreation through state funding. The program thrives with a strong community of supporters, ensuring that Wisconsin’s legislators continue to prioritize protected land, clean water, and access to outdoor recreation for every Wisconsin resident. Non-profit conservation organizations, local governments, and the state of Wisconsin all use Knowles-Nelson funds to care for our land and water. The program provides money (mostly through bonding) to conservation groups to purchase blocks of land for preservation. So far, $1.3 billion dollars has been invested and 1,500 grants given to support local areas. “Every dollar that the state invests in a conservation project is matched by another dollar (or more) contributed by local governments or generous individuals'” (knowlesnelson). For preservation, nearly $11 million comes from federal dollars with remaining $4 million coming from the stewardship fund. Republicans have been trying for years to scale back stewardship purchases, complaining that “it takes too much land off the tax rolls, robs northern Wisconsin municipalities of revenue, and drives up state debt.” In recent years, legislators and private companies have started secretly preventing land conservation purchases to prevent the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program from completing its goal.
Examples/History
Recent examples of legislators preventing land conservation are The Pelican River Forest and The Cedar Gorge land purchases. The Pelican River Forest land purchase was one of the largest proposed land acquisitions in Wisconsin's history at 56,000 acres. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board signed off on the purchase of $15.5 Million, but this purchase was threatened by lawmakers who objected to the use of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to fund the remaining $4 Million of the proposed easement. Among the lawmakers who objected to this purchase are Senator Mary Felzkowski who is on the Joint Committee on Finance. The reasoning for this objection is that the 56,000 acres of land to be purchased and conserved are off limits to development indefinitely, Senator Felzkowski goes on to say that this is taking property off of tax rolls, and taking it away from the private sector leaving less money available for local governments in the area.
The Cedar Gorge Preservation was a proposed 131 acre natural preserve that would protect one of the few remaining undisturbed clay bluffs on Lake Michigan, an important feature that filters groundwater and serves as a resting place for many different species of birds found on Lake Michigan. This area of land was desirable for land developers who were looking to turn the property into a vineyard and winery on the bluff. The land valued at $5 Million was set to be purchased by the OWLT and was just waiting on the remaining $2.3 Million in funding from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship fund. This funding was objected to by an anonymous lawmaker on the Finance Committee, as a result of lobbyist Scott Meyer, hired by an anonymous interested buyer lobbying to the finance committee. (We had tried to contact the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust and Scott Meyer for more information on the event but did not receive detailed information). This objection resulted in the approved amount of funding via the Knowles-Nelson grant to be lowered from $2.3 Million to $1.6 Million, negatively impacting the purchase of the property.
Why is it Blocked?
Legislatures can currently object to the Knowles-Nelson funding which can get in the way of a project. Currently anything north of highway 64 has to be passed by the Joint Finance Committee, which is led by republicans, who then reject projects. The democrats on the committee have stated that they didn’t reject the funding. The committee has been trying for years to keep the project funding to a minimum. While there has not been an exact reason on why they are denying funding for the projects due to anonymous objecting, republicans are afraid that it takes too much money off the tax rolls. With the taxes it brings in revenue. Without the revenue from the taxes it can lead to not having enough money for providing services to the state. Furthermore it can end up increasing state debt if they use too much of the funding. The Cedar Gorge project didn’t get an explanation on why it was getting rejected; however, there was a buyer interested in buying the land, which would then lead it to staying on the tax rolls to provide revenue for the state instead of taking it off, which could be one of the reasons that they ended up rejecting the funding. Once the land is off the tax rolls it will remain off forever leading to hesitation to make the final decision to preserve it.
Tony Evers Bill
Tony Evers in a recent speech during the annual State of the State address on January 24, 2023, stated that the threshold needs to be higher to block land purchases with the stewardship for preservation projects. Evers wants to make it more difficult for the republican legislature to block purchasing of land by conservation groups and the state. Lawmakers and legislators are able to object anonymously, delaying or even killing crucial preservation projects. Republicans have been trying for years to scale back stewardship purchases, complaining that it takes too much land off the tax rolls and increases state debt. Republicans on the legislature’s finance committee, recently killed a state Department of Natural Resources plan to spend $15.5 million on an easement to preserve 56,000 acres of northern Wisconsin forest, $4 million coming from the stewardship fund. Evers also announced a number of other conservation related budget proposals on February 8, including, $4.4 million to encourage planting trees and growing forests across the state, $2.7 million to combat invasive species that damage Wisconsin’s forests, parks and other natural spaces, $6 million on clean energy and conservation-related job training, and has called for 100% of all electricity used in Wisconsin to come from carbon-free sources by 2050.
Opinion / Solutions
We believe that the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund is a crucial program in preserving Wisconsin's land, water and wildlife. We support the land preservations while republicans and lawmakers believe that supporting the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and land preservation efforts drive Wisconsin's taxes and debt up. The best way to resolve this conflict is to support the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Funding program and Tony Evers bill to make it more difficult for legislators to delay or kill crucial preservation projects for the environment.
Work Cited
Black, Spencer. “Op Ed: Anonymous Legislator Undermining State
Stewardship Fund.” Urban Milwaukee, https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2022/12/18/op-ed-anonymous-legislator-undermining-state-stewardship-fund/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs Is Protected and Preserved! | Gathering Waters. https://gatheringwaters.org/CedarGorgeStory. Accessed 5 Apr. 2023.
“Evers Calls for Higher Thresholds to Block Land Stewardship Projects in
Wisconsin.” PBS Wisconsin, https://pbswisconsin.org/news-item/evers-calls-for-higher-thresholds-to-block-land-stewardship-projects-in-wisconsin/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Gov. Evers’ Budget Seeks to End the Practice of Anonymous Objections to
Land Conservation Projects – Knowles Nelson Stewardship. https://knowlesnelson.org/gov-evers-budget-seeks-to-end-the-practice-of-anonymous-objections-to-land-conservation-projects/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Grants to Friends Groups | Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program Grants Wisconsin DNR. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Stewardship/ApplyFriends. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
“Home | Ozaukee Washington Land Trust.” OWLT, https://www.owlt.org. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Knowles Nelson Stewardship – Protecting Land and Water in Wisconsin. https://knowlesnelson.org/. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Schulte, Laura. “Conservationists and a Private Buyer Are Both Seeking a Pristine Slice of Lake Michigan Land. What to Know about the Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs.” Journal Sentinel, https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2022/05/06/what-know-effort-preserve-cedar-gorge-clay-bluffs/7360265001/. Accessed 5 Apr. 2023.
Stewardship | Wisconsin DNR. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Stewardship. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.
Watch, Jacob Resneck /. Wisconsin. “Pocket Veto: How Anonymous
Wisconsin Lawmakers Kill Projects.” Wisconsin Watch, 11 Mar. 2023, https://wisconsinwatch.org/2023/03/theres-no-transparency-secretive-pocket-veto-scuttles-wisconsin-projects/.
Watch, Jacob Resneck Wisconsin. “‘There’s No Transparency’: Secretive ‘Pocket Veto’ Scuttles Wisconsin Projects.” Amery Free Press, 13 Mar. 2023, https://www.theameryfreepress.com/news/there-s-no-transparency-secretive-pocket-veto-scuttles-wisconsin-projects/article_d5489094-c03a-11ed-b613-73b94c162194.html.
Wisconsin Legislature: 33.21. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/33/iv/21. Accessed 4 Apr. 2023.