Wisconsin’s long-running Knowles‑Nelson land stewardship program is creeping toward a funding lapse this summer as lawmakers remain at odds over how, or whether, to reauthorize it. If they do not reach a deal by the end of June, the program’s ability to buy land and issue local grants will effectively go on pause. That would leave conservation groups and local governments scrambling, even as recent Milwaukee-area wins like the 61-acre Mukwonago River Oak Barrens and the 38-acre Agaski Bluff owe their protection to Stewardship dollars.
Lawmakers Leave Program Without A Plan
The Wisconsin Senate recently opted not to take up bills that would extend the program, which leaves its authorization set to expire in June if no compromise emerges. As Wisconsin Public Radio reported, Republicans removed Gov. Tony Evers’s reauthorization plan from the biennial budget and advanced a narrower Assembly proposal that trims acquisition funding and adds new legislative oversight. Advocates warn the timing will slow projects that rely on predictable state matching dollars and could push grant rounds into delay.
What’s At Stake
Since 1989 the Stewardship program has helped protect roughly 750,000 acres of habitat, trails and parkland across Wisconsin. According to Urban Milwaukee, groups including The Nature Conservancy and The Prairie Enthusiasts used Stewardship grants for recent purchases such as the Mukwonago River Oak Barrens and the Agaski Bluff. Land trusts say any funding gap would force them to slow the pace of protection and lean even harder on private fundraising to fill the hole.
How Lawmakers Have Responded
Gov. Tony Evers has proposed reauthorizing Knowles‑Nelson at 100 million dollars a year for 10 years, a 1 billion dollar package, in his 2025 budget request, describing the investment as critical for water quality and outdoor recreation. His administration laid out that proposal in public budget materials. Assembly Republicans, meanwhile, passed a scaled-back reauthorization that would cut annual acquisition funding and add stricter legislative review of purchases. Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the Assembly plan would reduce the program’s yearly intake and require extra approvals for large land buys.
Conservation Groups Sound The Alarm
Coalitions organized around Knowles‑Nelson are urging negotiators to include Stewardship funding in any special-session package and warning of real losses if the program lapses. Team Knowles‑Nelson, a statewide coalition of land trusts, recreation groups and conservation organizations, has mobilized members and local officials to push for a compromise that keeps acquisition dollars intact. Advocates note that the program supports both big, landscape-scale purchases and small park projects that would be tough to replace with private fundraising alone.
Why The Court Ruling Matters
Part of the current standoff tracks back to a 2024 Wisconsin Supreme Court decision that curtailed a legislative committee’s ability to quietly block Stewardship projects, a tactic critics had labeled a “pocket veto.” Wisconsin Watch explained that the ruling removed a key lever some lawmakers had used to slow or stop projects, which in turn has fueled new demands for added oversight and tighter funding language. That procedural fight now sits at the center of whether lawmakers can agree on a simple reauthorization.
Local Projects That Could Stall
Land trusts and county park officials say the uncertainty is already changing how they operate. Organizations are holding off on offers, tightening fundraising targets and pausing grant rounds while they wait for direction from Madison. Urban Milwaukee reported that groups such as Groundswell Conservancy and The Prairie Enthusiasts expect to slow their pace of purchases until a funding solution is in place. Advocates warn that skipping even one season of Stewardship grants could mean losing once-in-a-generation chances to protect key habitat from development.
What Comes Next
Lawmakers could still revive a compromise in a special session or tie Stewardship dollars to broader negotiations over tax relief and education funding, but the calendar is getting tight as the June deadline approaches. Some Republican leaders have told reporters that Knowles‑Nelson may be folded into ongoing package talks even though Senate leaders pulled reauthorization bills from the floor, according to WisPolitics. If negotiations fall apart, conservation groups say the program will not necessarily shut down overnight, but its ability to fund new projects and match local grants will be severely constrained until the Legislature acts.
