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Wardens describe emergency response role; DNR and Natural Resources Foundation highlight volunteer and Cherish fund support
Summary
DNR wardens described water rescue, ROV searches, crash reconstruction, AED deployments and interagency responses; DNR also highlighted volunteer contributions and a partnership with the Natural Resources Foundation, which manages the Cherish Wisconsin fund (Go Wild donations) used for conservation projects across state lands.
Two information items before the board on Oct. 23 highlighted public‑safety roles and philanthropic partnerships.
Matt O’Brien, deputy chief conservation warden, reviewed the wardens’ expanded public‑safety duties — forensic crash reconstruction, boat and ATV collision response, missing‑person and overboard searches using side‑scan sonar and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), mutual‑aid support for major events, rope and medical rescues, wildfire investigations, and recent deployment of AEDs across warden squads with several successful cardiac‑arrest saves. He described equipment costs and grant funding opportunities.
Phil Reinisch and David Klutter (Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin) described volunteer programs and friends‑group partnerships (64 friends groups supported 69 state park properties, contributing ~40,000 volunteer hours and $3.5M in donations in FY2024). They reviewed the Cherish Wisconsin Outdoor Fund (Act 148) — a public‑private endowment that receives Go‑Wild check‑off donations, holds roughly $2.5M today and distributes ~4.75% annually to priority projects selected by a stakeholder committee. Recent funded projects included habitat restoration and state natural area work.
