Support for Knowles-Nelson Fund is not unanimous

By Kevin O’Brien

Seven members of the Marathon County Board last week voted against a resolution supporting continued state funding for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, arguing that the state government should not be investing in more public land for parks and forests when it is already paying off millions in debt.

The resolution, which calls on the state legislature and Gov. Tony Evers to renew the stewardship program as part of the state budget process, passed by a vote of 24-7, with one abstention. Since it was first created in 1989, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has enrolled 750,000 acres of public land at a cost of $1.3 billion, according to information provided to the board, but it is set to expire in June of 2026.

Supervisor Gayle Marshall, at the board’s March 20 informational meeting, questioned a note on the resolution that said it would have no fiscal impact.

“If we are asking the state to support this program, there will be a fiscal impact to every taxpayer in the state of Wisconsin,” she said.

The annual cost of the stewardship program equates to $11 per resident, with 90 percent of families living within one mile of public land purchased through the fund, according to information from knowlesnelson.org.

Supervisor Stacey Morache, however, noted that the $11-perperson figure means that a family of six has to pay an “extra tax of $66” per year, plus paying for stickers to enter state parks.

“It says it’s less than a fishing license, but that’s for every single person who lives here,” she said.

Jamie Polley, director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, pointed out that there are multiple pots of money within the stewardship fund, and not all of the money is used for acquiring land. “Almost every community within the county has received a grant at some point since 1989, whether it is for a land purchase or it’s for a trail construction, a wildlife area, all kinds of different things,” she said.

Knowles-Nelson funds have been used to purchase 73 acres of land for the Scotch Creek reserve in the village of Edgar, to build facilities at Erbach Park in the village of Athens, to develop the Heritage Trail in the village of Stratford. Stewardship money has also been used to develop and expand Rib Mountain State Park, the Ice Age Trail and the Mead Wildlife Area.

Supervisor Ann Lemmer read off sections of the county’s strategic plan that say the county should “identify and preserve unique regional areas for natural resource protection and environmental remediation” and “acquire land for public park and forest use.” One of the outcome measures in the plan says that the county should try to acquire 320 of acres of land per year for parks and forests.

“This certainly supports our goals as a county,” she said, referring to the stewardship program. “I feel it is very appropriate to support it.”

Supervisor Chris Dickinson said he has never personally supported that goal and is wary of the government owning more land, even if it is for public use.

“It isn’t about protecting the land. I think what it becomes is the government owning more land,” he said. “Even if a landowner comes to us and says ‘Hey, I want to sell you some land,’ it isn’t necessarily our responsibility to say ‘hey, we’re going to do that.’” Supervisor Tom Rosenberg, however, said he doesn’t think the county has ever actually bought that much land in any given year, calling it a “meaningless number.”

“We don’t purchase very much land, ever,” he said.

Supervisors John Robinson noted that funding for the Knowles-Nelson Steward Program – named after Republican Gov. Warren Nelson and Democratic Gov. Gaylord Nelson – has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support.

“It is a benefit to the residents,” he said. “I think it’s a worthwhile investment in extending this.”

Chris Dickinson