A Wisconsin land-purchase program that once appeared to be in jeopardy may soon get another life.
Lawmakers have introduced legislation that would extend the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program for four more years, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The legislation authorizes funding to purchase public lands and upgrade land the state has already purchased.
Introduced by two Republican lawmakers, the proposed bill to extend the program has bipartisan support, although its passing is far from guaranteed.
"I think that it's important for all of us to understand that this is an initial proposal," public-lands advocate Charles Carlin told the Journal Sentinel. "There's a lot of work to be done and a lot of conversation to be had before we get to the point where there's a final bill that will be up for a vote, but this is a really important step in the right direction."
The program was created in 1989 and has helped purchase more than 723,000 acres of land at a cost of roughly $570 million, according to previous reporting from the news outlet.
Earlier this year, many lawmakers feared the program would die off at the end of 2026 without renewal. That's because of a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that legislators could no longer use anonymous objections to slow or stop stewardship purchases, per the Journal Sentinel.
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Without the ability to object, some lawmakers feared, the state's Department of Natural Resources would have unlimited spending power with no oversight. The newly proposed bill would include legislative oversight contingencies without anonymous objections.
Land-purchase programs protect public lands from development while allowing increased access to lands by adding features such as trails and ramps. These programs have proved to be valuable tools in conservation efforts.
In Maine, such a program has led to more than 600,000 acres of land being preserved and protected. Local projects have also protected important ecosystems in places such as California and Massachusetts.
The proposed bill in Wisconsin would not just authorize land purchases, but also upgrades to state-owned land, such as boat launches and campgrounds.
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"I think if we can get as close to what we have right now with more oversight, I think that would be a huge win to make sure we don't [let] this program go away," state Rep. Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc, one of the bill's sponsors, told the Journal Sentinel.
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