October 2025 Legislative Update

The Future of Wisconsin’s Stewardship Program Hangs in the Balance

The future of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program — one of Wisconsin’s most successful and beloved conservation initiatives — is at serious risk. Despite decades of bipartisan support, the program’s reauthorization remains one of the most pressing unresolved issues of the 2025-26 Legislative Session.

Following last summer’s Wisconsin Supreme Court decision striking down the Joint Finance Committee’s anonymous veto power over projects, the program has been left in political limbo. The ruling, while a victory for transparency, created new uncertainty among legislators about how oversight will work going forward.

Traditionally, the program is renewed and funded through the state budget. This year, it was not — leaving Wisconsin without a clear path forward for future land and water conservation investments. Now, separate legislation must pass both the Assembly and Senate before the end of the legislative session – which runs through March 2026. The program expires on June 30, 2026.

Two competing reauthorization bills are pending — one Republican, one Democratic — but neither has advanced since a June hearing on the Republican version. The Republican proposal, authored by Rep. Tony Kurtz (R–Wonewoc) and Sen. Patrick Testin (R–Stevens Point), would extend the program through June 2030 with reduced annual funding of $28.25 million (down roughly $5 million) and impose a $1 million cap per project, requiring separate legislative approval for larger acquisitions. It does, however, preserve crucial funding for the Local Government (LUG) and Boating Aids subprograms. WPRA submitted testimony in support of this bill.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. Without legislative action, Wisconsin risks losing momentum — and the legacy — of a program that has protected thousands of acres of parks, trails, forests, and waterways for over three decades.

WPRA, alongside a broad coalition of partners, continues to press for movement and engage lawmakers in both chambers. Yet progress has stalled. As the 2025-26 session advances, the future of Wisconsin’s conservation investments depends on renewed urgency from legislators and the public alike to keep the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program alive.