Oneida County calls on the legislature to reauthorize and fund the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
The Oneida County Board passed a resolution on March 6, 2019 endorsing the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and calling on the governor and the legislature to reauthorize and fund the program.
Citing the program’s positive impact on Oneida County, the resolution states, “Oneida County has utilized Stewardship grant funds to acquire additional forest lands for enrollment into the County Forest Law Program that has increased public recreational opportunities and added valuable assets to its timber inventory, helping to keep its property tax rate among the lowest in the State…therefore…the Oneida County Board of Supervisors considers the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program a valuable tool to preserve and restore natural areas, wildlife habitat, and water quality while supporting the development of public nature-based outdoor recreation opportunities that promote economic development and enhance quality of life.”
We at Gathering Waters couldn’t agree more. Oneida County is home to many important and successful conservation projects, including the protection of more than 3,000 acres at the heart of Minocqua’s Winter Park Nordic Center trail system, and the Yawkey Forest Reserve, which protects more than four miles of shoreline near Hazelhurst. Northwoods Land Trust helped both of these projects be successful.
Stewardship grants in Oneida County have funded a diverse array of projects, including trails in Rhinelander, Three Lakes, Minocqua, and Newbold, among others. Knowles-Nelson grants helped to fund park development in Monico, Hazelhurt, Rhinelander, and to improve the beach at Sand Lake.
The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program also helps to build and maintain boating facilities across the state. In Oneida County, Stewardship grants are helping to fund a new boat landing in Rhinelander, adding restroom facilities at Lake Tomahawk, and helping to purchase a weed harvester.
Oneida County is asking their state elected officials, Senator Tom Tiffany and Representative Rob Swearingen, to support reauthorizing and funding the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. If the legislature and the governor do not renew the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program in the state budget, we will lose this critical source of conservation funding.
Please consider making your voice heard and reaching out to your elected officials in support of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
