Former Wisconsin Governors Republican Warren Knowles and Democrat Gaylord Nelson have their names on a fund that helps governments afford land purchases.
The legislature created the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program in 1989 to preserve valuable natural areas and wildlife habitat, protect water quality and fisheries, and expand opportunities for outdoor recreation.
The Oneida County Board passed a resolution Tuesday supporting the state keeping the fund.
Forestry Director John Bilogan says the county has used the program, most recently to purchase private land to turn into county forest in the Town of Enterprise.
Critics, like Supervisor Jack Sorenson, have wondered how much non-taxable public land is good for us. He says there's 82,000 acres of county forest..
"In addition 51,000 acres is in the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest. Another 17,000 is in the Nicolet National Forest. There's approximately 68,500 acres of lakes in Oneida county which is public land..."
Supervisor Bob Mott said there was more to it...
"Valuable natural areas, wildlife habitat, water quality, are areas conservation supports strongly. I believe Oneida county has benefited the most from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund more than any other county in Wisconsin. It's been very important to Oneida county..."
Sorenson joined 17 other supervisors in passing the resolution of support to forward to the legislature.
