Wisconsin DNR ups ask to $100M annually for land stewardship program

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources is asking for $100 million each of the next 10 years for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program, up from the current $33.25 million per year through 2026.

The stewardship program was created in 1989 to buy and preserve natural areas and wildlife habitats.

The request is part of the DNR’s biennial budget request but extends longer because bonding requests are not cash, so they can extend for longer periods of time, DNR Management and Budget Director Maggie Hutter said.

One issue with the request, however, is a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling from July saying the Legislature can’t block conservation requests from Gov. Tony Evers. Evers claimed that the Joint Committee on Finance was unconstitutionally and unlawfully blocking his requests through the program.

That ruling could lead to the $100 million annual request being rejected by the Joint Finance Committee, co-chair Mark Born told WTMJ in Milwaukee.

“It’s unfortunate that Gov. Evers’ lawsuit removed all accountability from the stewardship program, which helped ensure local voices were heard and that taxpayer resources were spent wisely,” Born said in a statement to the station . “The entire program is now in jeopardy.”

After the 6-1 July supreme court ruling, Evers said that the government would now be allowed to work for the state’s residents.

“Republican lawmakers have spent years giving themselves outsized influence and power that they’ve used to unconstitutionally obstruct basic government functions and prevent my administration from doing the people’s work,” Evers said after the ruling . “And that includes preventing the implementation of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. That ends today.”