It’s been over 30 years since our founders — Bud Jordahl, Rob Chambers, Jean Meanwell, Bill O’Connor, and Geoff Maclay (pictured above) — came together to form a statewide organization to help land trusts, landowners, and communities protect the places that make Wisconsin special.
Their vision has proved timeless.
In 1994, a dozen Wisconsin land trusts had protected 68 properties totaling 8,500 acres. Of those, nearly 3,900 acres had been purchased using grants from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, Wisconsin’s state funding program for land protection.
These original Wisconsin land trusts were doing important work in their local communities, but weren’t able to serve the entire state. Gathering Waters stepped in to help form new land trusts where there were gaps. From our humble start, renting office space at The Nature Conservancy, Gathering Waters grew.
The first Executive Director, Brian Hotz, was hired in 1995.
A budding network of land conservation legal experts would become instrumental in helping to shape land protection policies. These experts would also guide land trusts through complex agreements to ensure that land could be protected forever.
Today, with many of these long-serving legal experts retiring, Gathering Waters has again stepped into the gap with its flagship Land Conservation Law Program, the first of its kind in the nation, to train up-and-coming lawyers on the nuances of land protection law.
“Gathering Waters’ vision and mission are as relevant today as they were three decades ago. As my colleagues and I reflect on Gathering Waters’ history, one thing has become crystal clear: Gathering Waters’ success is tied directly to the overwhelming support of people who love Wisconsin.”
~ Mike Carlson, Gathering Waters Executive Director – 2016-present
In its first year, Gathering Waters helped establish five land trusts and assisted in the protection of nearly 2,500 acres.
Vicki Elkin became Gathering Waters’ second full-time Executive Director in 1998.
Under Vicki’s leadership, the land trust community expanded. In 2005, there were 50 land trusts, employing dozens of professional staff and engaging countless volunteers. The land trust community protected 135,000 acres with the help of 43,000 supporters statewide.
With the expansion of the land trust community across Wisconsin and the U.S., the national Land Trust Alliance convened a steering committee that developed a voluntary national land trust accreditation program. Vicki had become a respected leader in the land trust movement and served as a committee member.
“Gathering Waters invests in community-based conservation, encouraging and empowering people to shape the future. Land trusts work with countless landowners and communities across Wisconsin to protect and preserve the special places they love.”
~ Vicki Elkin, Gathering Waters Executive Director – 1998-2006
Mike Strigel then took the helm in 2006 as Vicki Elkin assumed the role of Stewardship Campaign Director.
In 2007, Gathering Waters and coalition partners launched a significant advocacy campaign to reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program in the state budget. Then, as now, Gathering Waters supporters rallied to the cause, making hundreds of phone calls to legislators and writing articles, editorials, and opinion pieces in local newspapers.
The result? A major victory for land conservation as the Legislature and Governor agreed to renew funding for another decade at a historic level of $86 million per year for 10 years, increasing program funding by 40 percent.
Also in 2007, the Land Trust Accreditation Commission selected Geneva Lake Conservancy to participate in the pilot application program. In the coming years, Gathering Waters would help Wisconsin land trusts prepare for the accreditation process.
Today, 20 Wisconsin land trusts hold accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
The following year, in 2008, Gathering Waters partnered with the American Farmland Trust to launch a successful grassroots campaign to advocate for the Working Lands Initiative. At the time, Wisconsin was losing 30,000 acres of farmland a year to development — faster than any other state in the Midwest. This new law gave landowners more options to protect their farmland and provided state funding through a Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) Program.
After 15 years, Gathering Waters’ mission had not changed, but the organization’s priorities evolved.
“Gathering Waters thrives because the mission continues to be relevant. People across Wisconsin agree that land conservation is essential. Many of you have made a commitment to protect the land. Your investment helps lay the groundwork for the future.”
~ Mike Strigel, Gathering Waters Executive Director – 2006-2016
By the end of 2009, Gathering Waters served a land trust community that helped protect over 200,000 acres across Wisconsin.
In its first 15 years, Gathering Waters had positioned itself as a state, regional, and national conservation leader. And this is just the first half of our organizational history! In upcoming months, we’ll feature highlights from 2010 to present day, as we recount the next 15 years. Stay tuned!
