Conservation requires action on the ground and in the water across Wisconsin to protect and restore our native landscapes and freshwater habitats for people and nature. But we cannot accomplish our work without supportive public policy and funding.

The Nature Conservancy works closely with Wisconsin's state and federal legislators to develop and support legislative policies that make a substantial and lasting contribution to effective conservation of globally significant lands and waters. We also work with partners and state and federal agencies in a variety of ways to create, secure and maintain funding for conservation.

Climate Change

Global temperatures have increased substantially over the past century. Climate change is already affecting our lives and the places we live, and has the potential to dramatically impact the lives of future generations. The Conservancy is joining with policy makers, community members, businesses, scientists, industry leaders and others here in Wisconsin and around the world to slow the pace of climate change.

Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund

For more than 17 years, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund has been a highly successful public-private partnership, securing critical wildlife habitat, conserving the best of outdoor Wisconsin and providing consistent world class outdoor recreation opportunities. It is one of the Conservancy’s best conservation partners and an essential part of our ongoing effort to conserve Wisconsin’s most outstanding lands and waters for nature and people.

Forest Legacy

Wisconsin's forests are important to our economy and central to our way of life here in the Badger State. But the changing economics of the forest products industry is making forests more valuable as real estate than for timber production. Creating a state companion to the federal Forest Legacy program would help conserve our forests and the many benefits they provide to current and future generations.

The Great Lakes Compact

All eight Great Lakes states, including Wisconsin, have ratified the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, a binational water management agreement that will determine how Great Lakes water is used and shared by all Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces. Congress has approved the Compact and the President has signed it into law,

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Clint Farlinger (Kangaroo Lake Preserve); Photo © Gerald H. Emmerich, Jr. (Winter ice at Crooked Creek); Photo © TNC (Todd Holschbach); Photo © TNC (Casey Eggleston); Photo © Wisconsin Department of Tourism (canoers).