You may have noticed that the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks has not shared much on the status of reauthorization of the Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program. The Senate floor session on February 18th was intended to be the day where action was intended to take place for Senate Bills 316 and 685. Unfortunately, the proposed bills were pulled off the calendar from vote because there was not enough Republican backing (you can read more about the action here: LINK). This writeup is to provide both a reminder on where things stand and an immediate call to action.
Recap of 2026 Action
The new year bore swift movement for the reauthorization of SBs 316 and 685. On February 3rd, the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage held a public hearing for the bills. Many conservation groups came forward to advocate the senators on the necessity to champion for a quality program that fuels both land acquisition and land management (Read recap of testimony here: LINK). On February 13th, the Committee voted 3-2 in favor of moving the bills forward to vote on the Senate floor.
Issues in Bills for Friends Groups
The bills presented some issues for Friends groups that depend on the program. Here’s a recap:
Issue 1. Knowles Nelson grants require a 50% match. To help with raising the match amount, most applicants apply for federal, local, or other state grants to help with the match amount.
The new KN Bill would only allow for a 30% maximum amount to be raised from other grants. This would severely restrain most Friend’s groups, NCO’s, and local municipalities from raising enough funds to move forward with any projects.
This is taking a vital funding resource into the wrong direction to help volunteers from completing projects, maintenance, naturalist programs, and many other benefits volunteers are willing to provide in lieu of adequate state funding.
Issue 2. The total grant amount for Friends groups is increased to $1,000,000 from $500,000. Currently the maximum grant amount per applicant is $20,000. With the increase in amount the maximum should be increased to $40,000.
Current Life Support, Expectancy, and Action
Less than a month has passed since the bills were pulled from the Senate floor. Many articles have come out since then from co-authors of the bills (Link) and folks from Gathering Waters/Team Knowles Nelson (Link).
Right now, the bills sit dormant. Bills were sent back to Senate Committee on Organization, where they await scheduling. As you read this message, there are no meetings scheduled for this committee.
Our optimism fades with each passing hour, but our voices are not deterring from the call to act. And this message is a means to have you also heed the call to make your voice heard, too. We urge you to call and email your district senators, asking them to please find a way to reauthorize Knowles Nelson before Senate adjourns. Right now, the Senate is tentatively scheduled for sessions until March 19th. That means that timing is of the essence.
Take five minutes out of your day (and strongly do this every day) to call your senator’s office. Send the same email repeatedly voicing for Knowles Nelson. You will find all the available resources to do your part in the following links.
Knowles Nelson “Take Action” Resources
The hope for Knowles Nelson fades, but our voice and action remain strong. Please find the strength to join our efforts in holding our state representatives responsible for the future of one of Wisconsin’s most vital funding resources to public lands.
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