MADISON, WI – Today, the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage held a public hearing on Senate Bills 316 and 685, the Republican proposal to reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program. Advocates across the state came to testify on the impacts of this program, but cited their concerns about the lack of funding, especially for the land acquisition program. The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program has faced significant Republican headwinds since last year.
Senator Habush Sinykin, a member of the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage, released the following statement:
“The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program is vital to ensure our state’s commitment to conservation, which 93% of Wisconsinites across the political spectrum support. Knowles Nelson Stewardship is not a partisan issue to Wisconsinites–and it should not be a partisan issue in the Capitol.
“I remain committed to passing a bipartisan reauthorization of the Stewardship program, but the integrity and purpose of the program must be kept intact. The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program was created in 1989 for the stated purpose of acquiring land to expand recreational opportunities and to protect environmentally sensitive areas. Without adequate funding for land acquisitions, however, this proposal is “Knowles-Nelson in name only” and does not reflect our state’s long-standing, bipartisan legacy of conservation. With meaningful improvements to the legislation to uphold the integrity and original intent of the program, I am hopeful there is still a path forward for Stewardship.
“The people of Wisconsin do not want a hollow stewardship program, they deserve a Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program that honors Wisconsin’s bipartisan commitment to conservation and our outdoor heritage.”
