The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program is a pillar of Wisconsin’s proud conservation heritage
April 22, 2025 | Topics: Issues, Spotlight
By Eddee Daniel
For over 30 years, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has been protecting our lakes and streams, securing critical wildlife habitat, and providing world-class recreational opportunities. Let’s keep it that way.*
Do you like to hike a forested trail? Or kayak a scenic river? Camp in a secluded park? Maybe you simply enjoy being outdoors in nature. Odds are that if you’re reading this blog, you’ll answer at least one of those questions in the affirmative. Odds are also good that many of the places you’ve been going to in Wisconsin for outdoor adventures have been acquired or maintained thanks to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
It may surprise you, as it did me (despite knowing about the program for some time) the extent of its reach and impact on conservation in our state. Even if you’ve never heard of it you should know that this important and popular program is at a critical moment in its history and possibly in grave danger of being gutted.
Established in 1989, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program helps preserve natural environments in local communities. A bipartisan success story, it is named for Republican Warren P. Knowles and Democrat Gaylord Nelson, both Wisconsin governors and conservation leaders. Among other achievements, Knowles created the WI Department of Natural Resources and Nelson founded the first Earth Day.
Throughout its history, the program has enjoyed mostly bipartisan support, providing grants to help local governments and nonprofits fund the acquisition, restoration and maintenance of public land, parks and wildlife habitats. Statewide, more than 750,000 acres of land have been protected. Stewardship funds have been invested in all 72 of Wisconsin’s counties, including no fewer than 100 projects in the most populous, Milwaukee County. To date, the six counties of southeastern Wisconsin (Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha) have benefitted from 1,266 projects.
Grants given for conservation projects over the years have ranged from over ten million dollars for the Kettle Moraine State Forest – Mukwonago Unit to a mere $109 at Chiwaukee Prairie – Carol Beach Natural Area. Most of the grants are on the smaller end of the scale. This information, and much more, is readily available on the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program website, which includes an interactive map of project sites statewide.
The photographs that accompany this story are from places that have received funding for projects through the Stewardship Program. I’ve selected just three each from five counties of SE Wisconsin, four from Milwaukee County. Some will be familiar, others likely not. They are a small fraction of the total number of recipients of Stewardship funds.
The Stewardship Program is funded through 2026, but will need reauthorization and funding beyond that. A grave concern is that, despite the program’s success and historic bipartisan popularity, there are state legislators who do not want it to be reauthorized. Some in the leadership have suggested that the odds are less than fifty percent. For his part, Gov. Tony Evers has requested an increase in the program’s funding from the current $33 million per year to $100 million per year for 10 years.
Of course, even supporters might find reason to quibble over the amount of funding and perhaps there is room for compromise there. But it makes no sense to get rid of a program that the vast majority of Wisconsinites support and that demonstrably improves the quality of life in our state. Recent polls indicate that nine out of ten Wisconsinites support the Stewardship Program!** Personally, as regular readers of this blog might expect, I support funding the program at the maximum level that is politically feasible. I think Gov. Evers’s proposal would make this excellent program even stronger.
Continuing this program is vital to ensure that Wisconsin remains a national leader in conservation. People all over the state deserve to have beautiful, well-maintained local parks, trails and natural areas, like the ones in these photos, in which to recreate and rejuvenate.
There are several ways you can help.
- Email. The Knowles-Nelson website makes it easy to send an email message of support to Gov. Evers and your legislators. (Adding a personal note will make the message more effective.)
- Telephone. The State of WI website can tell you who your legislators are and provide phone numbers. (Jot down what you plan to say before calling; keep it short and sweet!)
- For a deeper dive, Rep. Robyn Vining (my state representative) has a page with more information on the state budget process, how you can make your voice heard, and an overview on the state budget process: here.
- Please share this story with as many people as you can!
“Wisconsinites have demonstrated that we can find common ground on issues that are important to all of us, like support for local stewardship and conservation efforts. Let’s do our part to keep this bipartisan success story going strong!” ~ State Senator Jodi Habush-Sinykin in support of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program
More information about the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program can be found on the Knowles-Nelson website and the WIDNR website.
Knowles-Nelson in the news:
Why the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program Matters, by State Senator Jodi Habush-Sinykin
Court Ruling In Its Favor Puts Wisconsin Conservation Program ‘On Life Support’,
by Anya van Wagtendonk, Wisconsin Public Radio
The state conservation funding behind Lion’s Den and Cedar Gorge is in jeopardy, by Claudia Levens, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Notes:
* From the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program website.
** From the WI DNR website.
The featured photo at the top is of a group of hikers on the Bald Bluff Trail in the sprawling Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, which has received numerous Stewardship grants over the years.
Eddee Daniel is a board member of Preserve Our Parks.