The 2025 state budget was a big disappointment for conservation advocates. The fate of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program is uncertain after the Joint Finance Committee chose not to include Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program funding in the budget.
Wisconsin already lags behind our neighbors in land conserved and money invested in conservation and outdoor recreation. We are now at risk of the legislature zeroing out funding for the state’s flagship environmental conservation program.
Although the budget doesn’t include Knowles-Nelson funding, there is still hope for the program. Two proposed bills have been put forward by legislators that would reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
AB 315
In June 2025, Representative Tony Kurtz and Senator Patrick Testin introduced legislation to reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. The bill received a hearing in the Assembly but the Senate failed to act on the bill during the budget. Neither chamber has made any moves to advance the bill out of committee. Legislators have indicated they will take up this standalone legislation in September.
The bill would provide some certainty for land trusts and local governments. It proposes keeping funding stable for the next four years. And it allows land trusts to be awarded grants for land management, a major unmet need.
However, we also have concerns about the bill. As written, the legislation would effectively cut off most land acquisition and transform the program into a land management and recreation infrastructure program. These are important needs, but we need to see acquisition and management balanced as equal needs.
The bill would also create a “major land acquisition program” that would require any grant of $1 million or more to move through the legislature as its own bill in order to be funded. The legislation currently includes no provisions that mandate a timeline or even a vote on proposed projects, which could recreate the worst impacts of the days when the Joint Finance Committee could anonymously block projects.
If you’re curious to learn more, all of the testimony that Gathering Waters and other groups presented to the Assembly Committee on Forestry when they considered the bill are available to read HERE.
LRB 3744
In late August, Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin and Representative Vinnie Miresse introduced a new proposal to reauthorize Knowles-Nelson funding for six years, funded at $72 million annually. This proposed legislation is co-sponsored by all 60 Democratic lawmakers and addresses the concerns we had with AB 315.
First, their proposal creates separate funding streams for land acquisition and land management grants. This ensures both priorities receive dedicated support and allows the DNR to administer them separately. Comparing the purchase of a critical wetland vs. restoring a prairie would be like comparing apples and oranges. This structure allows each type of project to be judged on its own merits.
Second, the bill proposes a “Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Board” to provide oversight for the program. This 17-member body would bring together legislators from both parties, stakeholders, agency experts, and citizens to provide guidance and approve or deny grants exceeding $2.5 million.
This proposal lays the groundwork for compromise negotiations as the two parties seek ways to work together to reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. And for a deeper dive into the politics of this process, see this Wisconsin Examiner article.
The Path Forward
Now is the time to reauthorize Knowles-Nelson before current funding expires. Without action this fall, there will likely be a funding gap starting in July 2026 that would halt conservation projects statewide.
True compromise must be bipartisan. More than 90% of voters—Democrats and Republicans alike—want to see the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program renewed. We urge legislative leaders to work with conservation supporters in both parties to craft a plan that stays true to Knowles-Nelson’s core mission.
If we work together in a constructive, bipartisan way, we can get this done and Knowles-Nelson will keep working for Wisconsin.
What You Can Do
Get in touch with your legislators and urge them to get to work crafting a Knowles-Nelson compromise that works for Wisconsin. Take action today and ask legislators to stay true to these priorities when negotiating a Stewardship reauthorization:
- Fund both land acquisition and land management.
- Create an oversight structure that: encourages constructive dialog; brings stakeholders, legislators, and agency professionals together; and that follows a clear, time-limited process for reviewing and voting on major grants.
- Supports our growing outdoor recreation economy by investing in the infrastructure we need to get out and enjoy all the places that make Wisconsin special.
Take action!
If we work together in a constructive, bipartisan way, we can get this done and Knowles-Nelson will keep working for Wisconsin.