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BCPL Returns 5 Percent Of Budget To State General Fund

Board of Commissioners of Public Lands

A state agency managing land holdings in the Northwoods and elsewhere has given back 5 percent of it's budget to state coffers.

The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) is chaired by State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski. She announced a voluntary cut of at least 5 percent to the BCPL operating budget for this fiscal year.

Godlewski says everyone, government or families,  has been asked to cut back....

"There was a request put out, 'can people provide any money back to the general fund because the state is seeing an economic impact? We sat down as a team, and through hard work and grit we were able to make a 5 percent cut and provide that back to the general fund."

The giveback wasn't massive for the relatively small agency, about $86,000. The cut will impact reports, software, appraisals for land bank transactions, and road work on trust lands for upcoming timber sales. BCPL has an office and staff in Lake Tomahawk.

The BCPL manages $1.2 billion in school trust fund assets, which is the nearly-sole source of funding for Wisconsin public school libraries. This year, the Common School Fund made a record distribution of $38 million to public school libraries.

Interest from invested funds also helps local governments make upgrades.

The agency came into being when Wisconsin was formed as a way to manage federal lands given to the state. When COVID-19 forced students to learn from home, Godlewski reports the BCPL made a special distribution of $5.25 million to help librarians and school districts address the digital divide.

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