Reader urges support for bipartisan Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund

To the Editor:

Ask your state legislators to support funding of Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund. This fund, named after Governor Warren Knowles (R) and Senator Gaylord Nelson (D), has funded public land acquisition and recreation infrastructure around the state, including in Northern Wisconsin for decades.

The Stewardship Fund has paid for: 1. Weed killer for invasive Eurasian watermilfoil Minocqua and Kawaguesaga Lakes; 2. Playground Equipment for the Brandy Lake Beach; 3. Renovation of the Lake Tomahawk Boat Landing; 4. Acquisition of Land for the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest; 5. Construction of the bathhouse, bathrooms and parking area at Hodag Park; 6. Construction of toilets, changing rooms, parking areas and more at Almon Park (Buck Lake); 7. Construction of the Townline Lake Boat Landing in Three Lakes; 8. Playground equipment, basketball courts, lighting and bleachers at the Lion’s Club Park in Sugar Camp; 9. Buildings and Trails at the Perch Lake park; and, 10. The Bearskin State bicycle, walking and snowmobile Trail.

These are just a few of the many projects that have been paid for by the Stewardship Fund. An interactive map at this site allows you to see more - https://knowlesnelson.org/. 

Over the decades, the fund has enjoyed broad bi-partisan support. Recently, however, a few partisan politicians have questioned this popular fund. Wisconsin law previously allowed individual members of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee to anonymously veto Stewardship Projects. Last year, in an opinion authored by conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley, the Wisconsin Supreme Court found that “pocket veto” to be unconstitutional. 

The end of that secretive, anti-democratic veto has a few legislators riled up and they seem to want to resist funding the Stewardship Fund. Some of them claim that there is too much public land in Northern Wisconsin. This argument ignores the fact that the state of Wisconsin has protected much less of its land than Michigan and Minnesota have. It also ignores the fact that the really large-scale public land acquisitions in Northern Wisconsin happened a long time ago. It also overlooks the other great things that the Fund does that are unrelated to land acquisition.

Boat landings and park facilities wear out, and the fight against Eurasian watermilfoil is endless. Clean lakes, parks, and public land make Northern Wisconsin a great place to live. They also draw the tourism dollars that our area relies on. At a cost of $11 per year per Wisconsinite, the Stewardship Fund is a bargain. Contact your legislators and tell them to fund this popular program. 

Tom Wiensch

Rhinelander