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Adams County committee approves resolution to pursue Knowles-Nelson stewardship grant for possible forest land acquisitions
Summary
The committee authorized staff to apply for a Knowles-Nelson stewardship grant to explore adding privately held parcels to the county forest; the resolution does not authorize purchase and passed with one recorded no vote.
Adams County committee members on the Land and Water/Forestry agenda voted to forward a resolution authorizing staff to apply for the Knowles-Nelson stewardship grant and work with the Wisconsin DNR on planning for possible county forest land acquisitions.
The resolution — as discussed by county resource staff and committee members — would fund pursuing grant funding that historically paid 50% of acquisition costs for the county’s purchases; a DNR project loan covered the other 50%. Colton (Land and Water staff) told the committee that the Knowles-Nelson program’s future funding was uncertain and that the grant may not be available after June 2026 because of pending legislative action. He presented a list of five parcels owned by Meteor Timber in the town of Big Flats that the company said it would consider selling to the county.
Why it matters: the Knowles-Nelson stewardship grant has subsidized half of past Adams County acquisitions and allowed the county to take lands into public forest use while retaining timber revenue. Committee members stressed that applying for the grant is a first step; actual purchases would require future appraisals, separate resolutions, and state approval of grant applications.
Committee discussion focused on price, market impacts and process. Several members and citizens raised concerns that the county competing for private timberland could push up local land prices and reduce chances for private citizens to buy property. Colton said he would obtain appraisals after authorization and that Meteor Timber’s parcels are not presently listed for sale; Meteor Timber had previously operated those parcels for public access. A committee member noted a recent county purchase totaling $1.2 million for 598 acres (presented during discussion), which the committee used only illustratively to estimate per-acre costs.
Committee counsel and staff clarified that the resolution before the committee would authorize staff to apply for the grant and work with the DNR on planning; it would not authorize purchase of any parcel or commit county funds for acquisition. If the county receives a grant award, the purchase and final funding decisions would return to the committee and the county board for approval.
The motion to forward the resolution was made by Supervisor Cherko and seconded by Member Poehler. The committee vote passed and the resolution will be forwarded to the county board; Supervisor Posdolski was recorded as voting no.
The committee asked staff to obtain parcel appraisal(s) and pricing before any purchase decision is considered, and members requested clearer public notice about opportunities to bid on private property if Meteor Timber or other sellers put parcels on the market. Staff reiterated that private sellers are not required to advertise sales and that county procedures require future board approval before acquisitions proceed.
