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Rock County board urges legislature to renew Knowles-Nelson stewardship program; amends resolution to drop dollar figure
Summary
Supervisors endorsed renewal of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and approved an amended resolution that removes a specific dollar amount and instead asks the governor and legislature to reauthorize funding and support worthy projects. The board heard public support from local conservation volunteers.
Rock County supervisors on March 13 voted to urge Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Legislature to renew the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, after amending the resolution to remove a stated dollar-amount target and instead request ongoing funding for worthy projects.
The resolution drew public comment from local volunteers who said Knowles-Nelson grants have funded projects in Rock County, including trail paving and watershed protection. Dean Painter of the Rock Trail Coalition and Neil Dupree of the Green Rock Audubon Society described past grants that helped finish the Peace Trail and protect a trout stream.
Supervisor Bill Wilson proposed an amendment to strike the specific dollar figure in the drafted resolution and replace it with language requesting that "sufficient funding annually be allocated to support worthy projects." Wilson said the change would keep the resolution nonpartisan and focused on preserving the program's benefits rather than on a single budget line. "This is a nonpartisan effort," Wilson said, noting the program's bipartisan history.
The board took a roll-call vote on the amendment. The amendment passed with 23 votes in favor and 6 opposed. Following the amendment's adoption, the amended resolution was approved in a subsequent roll-call vote (29 yes, 0 no recorded) and will be sent to the governor and state legislators representing Rock County.
Supporters described local examples of Knowles-Nelson grants: Painter said the county has received projects that total almost $11 million statewide support historically and cited a $90,000 Knowles-Nelson contribution to a $450,000 project that finished paving the Peace Trail between Janesville and Beloit. Dupree said the Green Rock Audubon Society used Knowles-Nelson funds to protect the East Branch Raccoon Creek watershed.
Opponents or cautious supervisors questioned attaching a specific dollar figure to a county resolution because state budgets contain many competing line items; that concern motivated Wilson's amendment and drew both supporting and opposing comments during the board's debate. Supervisor Gorman argued that asking for a specific appropriation can be a stronger advocacy tactic; Supervisor Woodman and others said removing the dollar figure made the resolution less political and more appropriate for the county board to adopt.
The board's action formally expresses Rock County's support for reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and asks the governor and Legislature to continue funding conservation and stewardship projects statewide. A copy of the amended resolution will be forwarded to Governor Evers and to the county's state legislative delegation.
