This week, Democratic lawmakers announced their version of bill to extend the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program (KNSP) for six years at $72 million annually. Their plan would also create a 17-member oversight board to review large projects, with safeguards to keep projects moving if the board does not act on time. The lead authors, Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin (D-Whitefish Bay) and Rep. Miresse (D-Stevens Point), stated in their co-sponsorship memo that this bill is a “starting point for discussions around Knowles-Nelson throughout the remainder of this session.”

Earlier this summer, Rep. Tony Kurtz (R–Wonewoc) and Sen. Patrick Testin (R–Stevens Point) introduced a bill (AB 315/SB 316) to reauthorize KNSP for four years, through June 2030. Their proposal reduces annual funding to $28.25 million—about $5 million less than current levels—and caps most projects at $1 million unless they receive separate legislative approval. The Assembly Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation held a public hearing in June, with many stakeholders’ including local government groups and outdoor sportsman groups supporting the bill.

The program’s future has been uncertain since last summer’s Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Joint Finance Committee’s practice of anonymously blocking projects, raising concerns among some Republican legislators about oversight. The issue also was not included in the state budget, signed into law in July, leaving reauthorization to be addressed as standalone legislation.

While publicly very popular, the program is caught in a post-budget predicament with no clear path forward for KNSP.