Knowles-Nelson Update 11.25
There has been another new twist in the ongoing Knowles-Nelson plot. Now, there are two distinct bills addressing the future of the stewardship program. The new bills separate funding mechanisms from policy reform. Assembly Bill 315 is still the same proposal brought forth by Representative Kurtz and Senator Testin, but now proposes a stand-alone appropriation measure that keeps program funding outside the state’s main budget. Assembly Bill 612 is related to Knowles-Nelson funding. In short, the policy is now separated from the funding.
The governor’s partial veto power in this state only allows Governor Evers’ to amend spending bills. Thus, he can only use his partial veto on AB 612 and will have to either fully accept or reject AB 315. The funding bill is good in that it creates separate tracks for land acquisition and habitat management. AB 315, on the other hand, still contains the provision requiring legislative review of all acquisitions exceeding one million dollars.
Please continue contacting your representatives and encourage them to take up the KN proposal introduced by Senator Habush-Sinykin which has the support of all 60 democratic legislators. This proposal reauthorizes the stewardship program for six years at a far greater amount, and incorporates an oversight committee consisting of bipartisan representation as well as stakeholders from outside the realm of state government. Use the following link from Team Knowles-Nelson to share your support:
https://knowlesnelson.org/take-action/#/41/
On a related note, the deadline for the Federal Recreational Trail Program Grant Program (RTP) application has changed. The goal of the RTP is to encourage the maintenance and development of trails and trail-side amenities by providing cost-sharing assistance to governmental units and qualified trail organizations. The new application deadline is March 1, due to the delay in reauthorizing Knowles-Nelson. In past years, RTP, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and Knowles-Nelson all had the same application deadline of May 1, and applicants could fill out one application to be considered for all three. Because Knowles-Nelson reauthorization has stalled, the applications have been separated. LWCF will continue to have a May 1 deadline.
At this time, there is no application window for Knowles-Nelson. Since the program has not been reauthorized by the legislature, there is no funding available until that happens. These three critical programs currently have anticipated funding for the coming year, though with federal money as their source, anything can happen.
For your convenience, here are links to the websites for all three grant programs:
Knowles-Nelson Program page: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Stewardship/ApplyLUG
Land and Water Conservation Fund: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/aid/LWCF.html
Recreational Trail Program: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/aid/RTP.html
Feature image photo credit: Great Headwaters Trails Foundation, Inc. (GHT) This bridge at Muskrat Creek is part of the Conover-Phelps Trail GHT helped build. Some of the funding of this project came from Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund.