The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program—Wisconsin’s primary way of preserving natural areas and expanding outdoor recreation opportunities—needs your support. Tell your state lawmakers to renew it in the 2025 budget!
For more than 35 years, the Knowles-Nelson Program has supported nonprofit conservation organizations, local governments, and the Wisconsin DNR with grant funding to protect wildlife habitat, waterways, and land. This includes helping the Ice Age Trail Alliance protect land for the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.
Since 1990, the Ice Age Trail Alliance has been awarded more than $9 million* in grant funding to protect land for the Trail. Close to 4,000 acres, in fact!
*This does NOT include the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship funding the DNR and other conservation groups have received to protect land for the Trail.
Knowles-Nelson grants are matched dollar-for-dollar by the Alliance.
Yellow Blazes are Thanks to Knowles-Nelson Funding
Over the years, this funding has resulted in yellow-blazed Trail across the state:
- The Rib Lake Segment was re-connected and reopened
- The White Cedar Segment became reality
- The Cross Plains Segment now crosses through the Mammoth’s Back Preserve (which is a site of a spectacular habitat restoration in progress)
- Hikers went from treacherous road to beautiful Trail on the Waterville Segment
- New Trail will be on the ground this summer in Langlade County’s Moraine Outwash Segment
- And much more!
Knowles-Nelson Benefits Ice Age Trail Communities, too!
Many of the 24 Ice Age Trail Communities have received Knowles-Nelson park land and development grants. This funding has been used to acquire land for new parks, enhance existing parks with pavilions, shade structures, play areas, and athletic fields; improve beach access, build seawalls, purchase aquatic harvesters; and connect the Ice Age Trail to community areas.
Knowles-Nelson Funding is Critical to Trail Completion
It will take more than 1,000 land-protection transactions to complete the Ice Age Trail. To accomplish this, there must be a reliable, strong funding mechanism.
The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program is the only way to ensure funding is available for the land protection efforts needed to complete the Trail.
Let your legislators know the Ice Age Trail is important to you. Tell them to renew Knowles-Nelson funding! It’s easy to do:
Visit the Team Knowles-Nelson webpage to send an email, postcard (or both) to the governor or your legislators. Fill in your information, customize your message (if you want) and Team Knowles-Nelson will handle the rest.
