Jim Matson served as Chief Legal Counsel of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection for 36 years. During his tenure at the DATCP he was instrumental in preserving Wisconsin agricultural land through the Working Lands Initiative by providing incentives for preservation, encouraging farm conservation practices, and facilitating good land use planning.
His accomplishments on the Working Lands Initiative include development of agency policies and rules for several complex areas vital to the law’s effectiveness. Program areas include agricultural conservation easements, local land use planning and agricultural enterprise areas. This work has been completed in collaboration with a wide-range of stakeholder groups, DATCP staff and Board, land conservation and land trust organizations and others.
“Beyond his intellectual ability, Jim Matson is defined by his intellectual honesty and discipline. The Working Lands Initiative would not have become reality without the discipline, rigor and persistence that Jim brought to the effort.” –Kathy Pielsticker, Director, Land & Water Resources Bureau
“All who have worked with Jim have nothing but praise and admiration. He is the type of person who makes everyone around him work harder and do better.” –Vicki Elkin, Policy Initiatives Advisor-Wisconsin DATCP
