MADISON, Wis. – Conservation leaders from across Wisconsin will meet with legislators on March 12 for the first-ever Knowles-Nelson Lobby Day at the Wisconsin State Capitol. The gathering comes as the state budget process begins and decisions about the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program are being considered.
“This budget cycle will determine whether Wisconsin continues its conservation legacy,” said Charlie Carlin, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Gathering Waters. “The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has delivered conservation and outdoor recreation investments to every corner of the state. Knowles-Nelson is tremendously popular with voters across the political spectrum because caring for our water, wildlife, and our outdoor ways of life are truly bipartisan values.”
Lobby Day participants include representatives from land trusts, recreation groups, hunting and fishing organizations, local governments, businesses, and individuals from across the state. Together, they support reauthorizing the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, which has protected public outdoor spaces in all 72 Wisconsin counties since 1989.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has requested a 10-year reauthorization of the program, funded at $100 million per year. This state funding is increasingly critical as federal conservation support becomes uncertain. Though the program has always enjoyed bipartisan support, conservation leaders are concerned that partisan divides could threaten the state’s commitment to Wisconsin’s conservation legacy.
Participants will gather at the Wisconsin Masonic Center for a morning workshop on the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and the state budget process before moving to the Capitol for afternoon meetings with legislators. More than 175 registered attendees representing over 60 different organizations will meet with their Senate and Assembly representatives.
“Conservation is part of Wisconsin’s identity. Constituents from every corner of the state understand that we’re not just talking about a budget line item—we’re talking about something that makes Wisconsin who we are,” Carlin added.
Registration is still open at KnowlesNelson.org/LobbyDay. The event takes place just before the 2025 Wisconsin Land Trust Conference on March 13-14.
