Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rock County board backs renewal of Knowles-Nelson stewardship but removes dollar request
Summary
After public support from local conservation volunteers, the Rock County Board voted to endorse renewal of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, approving a resolution that dropped a specific dollar amount from the text and instead urged continued state funding for “worthy projects.”
The Rock County Board of Supervisors voted March 13 to endorse renewing the state Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and to urge ongoing funding, approving a resolution that removed a specific dollar request from the original language.
The move followed public comments from local conservation volunteers who described past stewardship grants that funded parks, trails and habitat protection in Rock County.
The amended resolution asks state leaders to reauthorize and fund the program but omits a specific dollar figure that earlier drafts included. Supervisor William Wilson, who introduced the amendment that struck the dollar amount, said the change was intended to keep the measure nonpartisan and focused on preserving the program’s benefits for local projects. “This is a nonpartisan effort,” Wilson said during debate.
Volunteers who addressed the board described how Knowles-Nelson grants have supported trail paving, land purchases and stream protection. Dean Painter, a Rock County parks volunteer and past president of the Rock Trail Coalition, told the board the resolution was “to endorse the Knowles-Nelson stewardship program, not a specific set of numbers,” and cited a recent county project in which the program helped pay for trail paving.
Neil Dupree of the Green Rock Audubon Society described the program’s role in protecting the East Branch Raccoon Creek watershed and said local groups have found the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources an effective partner on stewardship grants.
The board approved the amendment that removed the dollar figure in a roll-call vote (23 yes, 6 no). When the resolution was later considered as amended, the board recorded 29 yes votes on final passage.
The resolution and the board debate focused on the program’s role in funding local conservation projects and on framing the county’s support as a policy position to be forwarded to state leaders; it does not itself allocate county funds.
County officials said local projects have previously used Knowles-Nelson funds for park improvements and land protection, and volunteers urged continued statewide support.
The board directed that a copy of the adopted resolution be sent to Gov. Tony Evers and the state legislators representing Rock County.
Votes at a glance: amendment to remove dollar amount — motion by Supervisor William Wilson, second by Supervisor Mawhinney; vote 23 yes, 6 no. Final resolution (as amended) — approved, 29 yes, 0 no recorded.
For more: local proponents offered written materials to the board detailing past stewardship awards to Rock County projects.
