Governor Jim Doyle's call to reauthorize the
Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program as part of his
2007-09 Budget is drawing applause from the state's land trust
community.
"On behalf of Wisconsin's 55 land trusts
and our 45,000 members across the state, we would like
to thank Governor Doyle for his support of the Stewardship program," said
Michael Strigel,
Executive Director of Gathering Waters Conservancy.
Established
in 1989 in honor of former Governors Warren Knowles and Gaylord
Nelson, the Stewardship program has helped protect more than
475,000 acres of high-quality recreation and
environmentally-sensitive land in Wisconsin from development.
These lands are available to the
public for hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, wildlife viewing
and other outdoor activities.
The Stewardship program sunsets in 2010, but
Doyle's new budget includes $105 million a year
through 2020 for Stewardship, a program that has enjoyed historically
bi-partisan support in the
state Legislature.
Vicki Elkin, Stewardship Campaign Director
for Gathering Waters Conservancy, noted that
Republican Governors Tommy Thompson and Scott McCallum adjusted
the Stewardship Fund
several times from its original funding level of $25 million
annually to reflect soaring land
values across the state.
"With the cost of forest lands quadrupling
over the past ten years, Governor Doyle has
recognized that it is time, once again, to increase the Stewardship
Fund so that our conservation
efforts can keep pace with inflation," Elkin said.
Along with funding state land purchases,
the Stewardship program provides matching grants to
municipalities and non-profit land trusts to purchase important
conservation lands in
communities across the state. To date, land trusts alone have
raised over $60 million in private
dollars to match these state grants.
Under the Governor's budget, land trusts
would be eligible for $14.5 million a year in grants.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to double the state's
money by matching public dollars
with privately raised funds," said Elkin.
“Projections of Wisconsin’s
growth suggest that we have a 10-year window to set aside the
important places that make Wisconsin our home,” said Strigel. “The
Stewardship Fund is the
best tool we have to accomplish that crucial land protection.”
Click
here for a downloadable version of this press release » 
Related press releases:
Governor
announces plan to reauthorize Stewardship Fund in 2007 »
Conservation
Groups Applaud Governor's Plan to
Reauthorize Stewardship »
For more information about Gathering Waters'
campaign to reauthorize
the Stewardship Fund contact
Vicki Elkin, Stewardship Campaign Director, by phone at (office)
608.441.8819 or (cell) 608.334.1473 or by email at stewardship [at] gatheringwaters.org.
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