ACTION ALERT: We Need Your Help on Public Access to Stewardship Fund Lands

Fall hikers © Wisconsin Department of Tourism

The Nature Conservancy has worked diligently for many years to create and maintain a strong Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund.

Administrative rules related to public access on Stewardship Fund lands are in the process of being approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ governing body, the Natural Resources Board, this fall.

As this process moves forward, we need your assistance in ensuring that The Nature Conservancy maintains its ability to manage the lands it owns in Wisconsin to protect the plants, animals and native ecosystems on these lands and the outdoor uses that are compatible with their protection.

After reading the background information below, we ask that you consider expressing your support for the Stewardship Fund access rules by using the email link below or attending a hearing in your area.

Background:

The passage of the state budget in October 2007 included reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, the state’s renowned land acquisition program that secures priority conservation lands for future generations.  This program partners with conservation organizations like The Nature Conservancy to provide a 50% match when conserving land.  This match has encouraged land trusts and local governments to raise more than $140 million to protect land for the public to enjoy.

The Stewardship reauthorization includes a provision requiring that lands acquired with Stewardship funds be open to five nature-based outdoor activities: hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, and cross-country skiing.  The legislature provided the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) the flexibility to prohibit one or more of these activities in order to protect public safety, protect a unique animal or plant community, or to accommodate other usership patterns as defined by rule. The Nature Conservancy supports this flexibility in the current access rules draft.

Key points that must continue to be a part of the Stewardship Fund rules:

• It is critical that the administrative rules allow land trusts, like The Nature Conservancy, and local governments the flexibility they need to protect places important to their communities and determine the best balance of recreation on individual properties while maintaining the ecological integrity of the property.
• We need to ensure that land management decisions are made by natural resource professionals within the department who understand the land being conserved and base their decisions on professional judgment and the best available science.
• We need to ensure that the process for awarding grants is completed in a timely manner so that land protection opportunities are not lost.

Action

1) Submit Comments via the Internet:

Please consider submitting comments using the internet link below to express your support for the current draft of Stewardship access rules.  These rules, as they are written, provide a good framework within which natural resource professionals in the DNR can work with local governments and land trust partners to determine how Stewardship dollars will best serve communities across Wisconsin. More information is provided on the reverse side of this letter for your comments.

The website for electronic submissions is:  http://adminrules.wisconsin.gov (search using keyword “NR52”).

2) Submit Written Comments:

Written comments submitted via U.S. mail should be directed to Mr. Douglas Haag, Bureau of Facilities and Lands, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53703 or by email to DouglasJ.Haag@Wisconsin.gov.  Comments may be submitted until October 30, 2009.

3) Attend a Public Hearing:

Public hearings are at the following locations:

October 14, Wednesday
DNR West Central Region Headquarters (Room 158/185)
1300 West Clairemont
Eau Claire, WI 54702

October 15, Thursday
Nicolet Area Technical College (Learning Resources Center Theater)
5364 College Drive
Rhinelander, WI 54501

October 20, Tuesday
Madison Area Technical College (Student Lounge - 142C)
3550 Anderson St.
Madison, WI 53704

October 21, Wednesday
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (Room CB213 C&D)
2740 W. Mason Street
Green Bay, 54307

October 22, Thursday
UW Washington County (Lecture Hall 201)
400 S University Dr
West Bend, WI 53095

Hearing Agenda

• 6:00 p.m. — 30 minute informational briefing on the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program
• 6:30 p.m. — official hearing begins with an overview of s. 23.0916, Wis. Stats., and an overview of the proposed rule
• 7:00 p.m. — public comments accepted

The Wisconsin DNR and the Natural Resources Board need to hear from everyone who cares about Wisconsin’s Stewardship Fund lands.  Please consider taking one of the actions above to help maintain a strong Stewardship Fund program that benefits all of the people who love Wisconsin’s great outdoors.