Reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund

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1 Reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund Our Land, Our Water, Our Way of Life For more than 17 years, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund has been a highly successful public-private partnership, securing critical wildlife habitat, conserving the best of outdoor Wisconsin and providing world class recreation opportunities. It has also proven to be a wise investment in advancing our state s tourism and forest products industries, both of which are based on the long-term sustainable use of our precious natural resources. The Wisconsin Legislature created this innovative, bipartisan program in 1989 to preserve natural areas and wildlife habitat and expand opportunities for outdoor recreation. Since the program s inception, it has protected more than 477,000 acres in 71 of Wisconsin s 72 counties. The program is funded through state-issued bonds, which are repaid over 20 years by all current and future taxpayers. The program has accomplished much in its first 17 years, yet with increases in population and the pace of development, some of our most treasured natural landscapes, including our northern forests, are in jeopardy. We need to act now to reauthorize the Stewardship Fund for another decade so that future generations will have the same opportunities to enjoy Wisconsin s beauty and natural resources as we do today.

2 Partnerships are Key to Success The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund brings state government and citizens together through partnerships with nonprofit organizations and local governments to conserve natural landscapes and provide recreation opportunities. Mississippi Valley Conservancy Zane Williams Gerald H. Emmerich, Jr. La Crosse Blufflands Protection La Crosse County In 2001, the City of La Crosse and the Mississippi Valley Conservancy (MVC) formed a partnership with the State to protect the scenic beauty and recreational values of an eightmile stretch of blufflands along the Mississippi River. These landmark blufflands were targeted for conservation by local citizens in the city s comprehensive land use plan. Using funding from the Stewardship Fund, as well as matching dollars contributed by the city and private donors, the partners have protected more than 840 acres of land on the bluffs, which is open to the public for hiking, hunting, birdwatching and other recreational and educational uses. Work to preserve the blufflands is ongoing and as the MVC aquires the land, it transfers it to the city for long-term ownership and management. The city grants a conservation easement to the MVC, which protects the land permanently for future generations. Lulu Lake State Natural Area Walworth/Waukesha Counties Less than an hour from Milwaukee and Waukesha, Lulu Lake glitters amidst the rich marshes of the upper Mukwonago River watershed. When viewed through the lens of species richness and water quality, this 86-acre lake and its watershed comprise one of Wisconsin s highest quality natural areas. On higher ground, you will find prairie remnants and oak openings, two of the world s rarest plant communities. The State, The Nature Conservancy and private landowners in the area have worked together since the 1970s to conserve close to 1,900 acres of habitat using funds from the Stewardship program and matching funds raised by the Conservancy from private donors. Most of the natural area is open for hunting, hiking, canoeing, birdwatching and other types of recreation. It is also a popular outdoor laboratory for local teachers and their students. Forests of the Baraboo Hills Sauk/Columbia Counties The oak, maple, and basswood forests of the Baraboo Hills are the largest block of upland forest still standing in southern Wisconsin and provide habitat for more than 1,800 kinds of plants and animals. They are an important source of forest products and recreation opportunities. Working with private landowners, the Baraboo Range Preservation Association (BRPA) has used conservation easements to conserve close to 1,150 acres of forests, wetlands, and bluff prairies in the Hills. Under these voluntary agreements, landowners give up certain rights such as development while retaining ownership of all other rights to use their land. BRPA has matched Stewardship funds used to acquire the easements with federal dollars and with support from the landowners themselves, who in many instances have donated up to 50 percent of the value of the easement.

3 Cate Harrington/TNC Wisconsin Department of Tourism Roger Hill/NRCS Wild Rivers Legacy Forest Forest/Florence/Marinette Counties An innovative partnership among The Nature Conservancy, the State of Wisconsin and a timber partner conserved more than 64,600 acres of forests, wild lakes and wild rivers in northeast Wisconsin. The transaction, negotiated by the Conservancy with International Paper, is the largest land transaction in state history. A working forest conservation easement keeps 59,000 acres open to the public for recreation including hunting and fishing and guides forest management in a sustainable manner, ensuring that the forests remain healthy and diverse and continue to provide forest products and important forest industry jobs. The State s purchase of 5,610 acres protects wildlife habitat, portions of two wild rivers and several wild lakes, and provides additional recreation opportunities. Stewardship Funds for this project were leveraged with private business capital and philanthropic donations. McMillan Wildlife Area Bike Trail Marathon County Wildlife watching at the McMillan Wildlife Area is easier and more enjoyable for walkers, runners and bikers thanks to the 6-mile-loop trail built with funding from the Stewardship Fund, city and county government, and private individuals and foundations in Marathon County. The project was spearheaded by a local dairy farmer and is the result of a partnership among the City of Marshfield, Marathon County, the Marshfield Electric and Water Department, and the Friends of the Mead/McMillan Wildlife Areas. The trail, partially built on an abandoned railway bed, provides access to the marsh, which is a great place to see ducks, geese, songbirds, frogs, turtles and other wildlife. More recently, the Schmeeckle Reserve has added educational signage about the history and natural resources of the area. Wildlife Habitat at Hallie Marsh Chippewa County A partnership among Pheasants Forever, Chippewa County and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has provided the public with 376 acres of prime hunting land at Hallie Marsh in Chippewa County. Using Stewardship Funds, private donations and federal funds from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the Chippewa Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever purchased 296 acres of wetlands, forests and former agricultural lands between Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls from private landowners. The three parcels are adjacent to 80 acres owned by the DNR that was land locked. Pheasants Forever plans to transfer its land to the DNR for long-term protection and management, opening not only its land but also the DNR s 80 acres to the public for hunting, hiking, wildlife watching and other types of recreation. For Stewardship Fund projects in your area, look for the link to the Stewardship Fund Web site at nature.org/wisconsin

4 Hunting and Fishing Access Wisconsin has a long tradition of hunting and fishing, passed on from generation to generation. It s an important part of our history, culture and economy. Hunters and anglers contribute more than $1 billion to the economy each year in sales of food, lodging, transportation, equipment and licenses. With the increase in population and fragmentation of land due to an increase in urban/suburban development and the parcelization of large tracts of northern forests, the lands and waters available for hunting and fishing are decreasing. 24,100 acres of Nature Conservancy land in 15 counties is open to hunting (95 percent of all land owned by the Conservancy in Wisconsin); all Conservancy lands purchased in fee with Stewardship Fund dollars are open for hunting; Most recently, a unique partnership among the State, The Nature Conservancy and a timber partner protected 64,600 acres for all types of hunting and other access at the Wild Rivers Legacy Forest. The Stewardship Fund has been an important partner in helping to maintain and provide lands and waters for hunting and fishing: Of the 477,295 acres protected by the Stewardship Fund, 437,738 acres (almost 92 percent) are open to hunting; Hundreds of miles of rivers and streams including stretches of the Pine, Popple, Peshtigo and Lower Wisconsin rivers, Turtle-Flambeau and Willow flowages, and several high-quality trout streams have been conserved for fishing, boating, canoeing and wildlife habitat; Wisconsin DNR Wisconsin Department of Tourism

5 Other Recreation Access From the Great Lakes shoreline to the magnificent forests of the north and the rolling hills and valleys of the southwest, Wisconsin s natural environment is diverse. Blessed with miles of rivers, lakes, forests and trails, our state is a great place to spend time outdoors. Wisconsin residents and visitors alike appreciate the natural beauty and recreation opportunities that Wisconsin offers, pumping close to $12 billion in tourism-related sales into the economy in 2005 alone. With population and housing development increasing and more people vacationing in Wisconsin, however, pressures on Wisconsin s natural and recreational resources continue to grow and there are not always adequate recreational lands and facilities to meet the demands of residents and visitors. The Stewardship Fund has been a key partner in providing access to lands and waters for many types of recreational activities including biking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, canoeing, and bird and wildlife watching: 461,217 acres of land protected by the Stewardship Fund are open for some kind of recreation; 872 miles of trails have been added to the State Trail System; Parks and State Forests have added or redeveloped 295 miles of walking trails, 86 miles of horse trails, 300 miles of bike trails, and 80 miles of ATV trails; 11,900 acres have been acquired for the Ice Age Trail, providing almost 70 additional miles of trail; 606 acres have been acquired for the North Country Trail, providing another 9 miles of trail. Wisconsin Department of Tourism Wisconsin Department of Tourism

6 Wildlife Habitat and Biodiversity Preservation Scoured and sculpted by glaciers in ancient times, Wisconsin is the meeting place for the great forests of the north and east and the prairies and savannas of the west and south. We also enjoy an abundance of water the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi River on three sides and thousands of lakes, rivers and smaller streams in between. Wisconsin s lands and waters provide critical habitat for a rich diversity of plant and animal life from tiny ferns and wildflowers to migratory songbirds and wide-ranging mammals. Our lands and waters also provide important services to people including clean water, fertile soils, food, fuel, storm protection and flood control. 51,700 acres of high quality natural areas have been protected through fee acquisition or conservation easements; The Stewardship Fund has protected some of our state s most outstanding natural lands and waters, including Lulu Lake in southeast Wisconsin, Rush Creek along the Mississippi River, as well as Spread Eagle Barrens, Peshtigo Flowage and the Lower Chippewa River in northern Wisconsin; Acquisitions have benefited rare species such as the Karner blue butterfly and the dwarf lake iris. Since human settlement, we have lost most of our prairies and half of our wetlands. With increased pressure from population growth and development, we risk losing more pieces of our rich natural heritage. The Stewardship Fund has played an important role in conserving some of Wisconsin s most outstanding and ecologically significant lands and waters for people and for nature: Great blue heron Gerald H. Emmerich, Jr. Wisconsin Department of Tourism

7 The Nature Conservancy s Recommendations for Reauthorization of the Stewardship Fund The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund program will be a key player in the coming decade as we balance population and economic growth with the need to continue to protect our natural heritage and meet the recreation needs of the state. That is why The Nature Conservancy and conservation partners are providing specific recommendations for the Reauthorization of the Stewardship Fund program, including: 1. MAINTAIN THE LAND PURCHASING POWER OF THE PROGRAM With a rapidly closing window of opportunity to conserve special places due to increasing development and rising land prices, the purchasing power of the Stewardship Fund has not kept up with the demand for natural and recreation lands in recent years. The level of investment in the new Stewardship Fund should be based on the program s current level of funding adjusted to reflect present and anticipated future land values. The Fund should be reauthorized at $105 million per year in bonding authority. 2. MAXIMIZE PARTNERSHIPS WITH LAND TRUSTS AND LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT Nonprofit organizations and local units of government have been invaluable partners in helping to meet the state s conservation and recreation goals by contributing matching grant funds, involving local communities in land conservation, and assuming management responsibility for land they protect. The overall allotment for grant monies to nonprofits and local units of government should be increased as part of the new Stewardship Fund. 3. PRIORITIZE BOTH PROTECTION OF NATURAL AND RECREATION LANDS NEAR WHERE PEOPLE LIVE AND LARGE TRACTS OF LAND UP NORTH Easy access to natural areas and recreational lands close to home is important to Wisconsin citizens. As paper companies and other landowners in northern Wisconsin continue to divest themselves of large landholdings, it is also important to secure long-term protection of these large, intact parcels for forestry, wildlife habitat and recreation activities that require larger landscapes. The Stewardship Fund should prioritize acquisition of natural and recreation lands close to where people live as well as the purchase of large parcels of land in northern Wisconsin. 4. COORDINATE EFFORTS WITH LONG-RANGE CONSERVATION AND LAND USE PLANS Extensive natural resource and land use planning has been done by units of government and nonprofit organizations in recent years. Plans such as the Land Legacy Report, the State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, the State Wildlife Action Plan, and The Nature Conservancy s Ecoregional Plan and Great Lakes Blueprint provide useful information to direct the use of Stewardship funding in the most efficient and effective way. Priority should be given to projects that conform to these plans. 5. FOCUS ON PROTECTING LANDS AND WATERS FOR CONSERVATION AND RECREATION The purpose of the Stewardship Fund is to protect natural lands and waters and provide recreation opportunities, and it has been extremely successfully at accomplishing these goals. With increasing development and escalating land prices, the window of opportunity to meet the growing demand for natural and recreational lands is diminishing. The Stewardship Fund should remain focused on protecting lands and water for conservation and recreation.

8 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Todd Holschbach or Casey Eggleston The Nature Conservancy 633 West Main Street Madison, WI (608) nature.org/wisconsin The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund was named in honor of former Wisconsin Governors Gaylord Nelson (left) and Warren Knowles (right) two men who epitomize what can be accomplished when all of us work together to protect Wisconsin s natural resources. Photos left to right Frank Wallick, Wisconsin Historical Society Image (cropped). The Nature Conservancy: Who We Are The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working in Wisconsin and around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. Working in partnership with private landowners, businesses, governments and like-minded organizations, the Conservancy and its more than 21,000 members in Wisconsin have helped conserve more than 139,000 acres of the state s most outstanding lands and waters since The vast majority of our land is open to the public for hunting and other types of recreation. February 2007 MRC-C 1961 Robert A. Kleppin