Tony Evers bypasses GOP on Pelican River Forest. What to know about the large conservation project

MADISON - The largest land conservation in Wisconsin history will move forward, despite denial by the legislature's powerful budget committee over a year ago.

Gov. Tony Evers announced the purchase of more than 50,000 acres of conservation easements will be completed this week for the Pelican River Forest project, during his annual State of the State address Tuesday night, leveraging a new grant that allowed him to bypass legislative Republicans who blocked a different funding source.

A conservation project connected to the Pelican River Forest, a large swath of land in Wisconsin's Northwoods, has been on hold since the end of 2022 when the Legislature's powerful finance committee halted funding with an anonymous objection.

Here's what we know about the Pelican River project and the funding that helped to secure the conservation easements.

How are the easements being purchased?

The project will move forward with funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, in addition to a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and funding from the U.S. Forestry Service Forest Legacy Program. The funding allows the project to move forward without the blessing of Republicans in the Legislature who blocked plans to tap the state's Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to help pay the costs.

"Conserving and protecting our natural resources and land continues to be a top priority for my administration. I’m also excited to announce tonight I’m approving the largest forest conservation effort in state history," Evers said during his address. "In partnership with the Biden Administration and the Conservation Fund, we’ve approved the conservation easement for the Pelican River Forest’s remaining acres to protect the forest for generations of future Wisconsinites to use and enjoy. This is a big deal, folks."

The acquisition of the easement is expected to be completed by the end of the week.

“This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect nearly 70,000 acres of forestland provides greater access to nature, strengthens local economies, and enhances climate resiliency,” said Clint Miller, central Midwest regional director at The Conservation Fund, said in a news release. "Because so many worked so tirelessly to get this project done, Pelican River Forest will stand tall for generations to come.”

The release also noted support from a broad swath of northern Wisconsin local governments, Native Nations, outdoor advocacy groups, local businesses and Wisconsinites.

What is the Pelican River Forest?

The Pelican River Forest is bisected by Highway 8 east of Rhinelander and straddles the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds, with water draining in two different directions. It features tracts of upland and wetland forests as well as dozens of lakes and nearly 70 miles of streams, including portions of the Wolf and Pelican rivers.

The large property provides users the type of solitude only provided by a long hike or drive through the woods, into land that appears largely untouched, aside from sustainable timber harvest. There is a mix of different pines and hardwood trees, both young and old.

It plays host to countless animals, including gray wolves, black bears, white-tailed deer and bald eagles, as well as playing an important part in the migration of birds each year.

The forest has long been known as the Monico Block for the small town in its center, and the land has been owned by a succession of companies, including Consolidated Papers, The Forestland Group and most recently the Conservation Fund.

The property is the largest remaining unprotected block of privately owned forest in Wisconsin, at nearly 70,000 acres. It was purchased by the Conservation Fund, which in turn is seeking to sell the conservation easements to the DNR.

Why do supporters say the land should be conserved?

For supporters, conserving the Pelican River Forest will provide benefits in air quality, water quality and climate. It will also provide recreation opportunities, from ATV and snowmobile riding, to birding and hiking.

The purchase of the easements would also connect several other blocks of conserved land, creating more than 1 million acres of space for Wisconsinites to get in touch with nature.

What did those in opposition say?

An objection was made by the Finance Committee anonymously but was later attributed to Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma, putting the agreement between the state and the Conservation Fund at risk.

At the center of the objection is concern over the amount of land already conserved in northern Wisconsin and the impact of blocking any future development of the land, especially in the Town of Monico, a small municipality that would largely be within the easement.

Currently, more than 80% of the 300-person town is covered by the easements, and leaders worried conserving any more land could result in a lack of space for future growth and development.

More than 1,000 acres of land along Highways 8 and 45 was removed from the easements under the new proposal. Charles Carlin, the director of strategic initiatives for Gathering Waters, an organization that works to protect Wisconsin's land, water and wildlife, said the adjustment was done to ensure the town wasn't held back from developing land in the future.

Other local officials in surrounding counties have also expressed concern over the project, because local governments weren't asked for their input on the easements before the project was presented to the Legislature last year.

Do conservation easements mean the land can't be touched?

No.

Once the easements are sold to the state, the land will then be sold in large or small blocks to other buyers, who will have to agree to allow open access to the public for things such as hiking, hunting, and riding ATVs and snowmobiles. There will also be about 70 miles of roads throughout the property, which will be maintained by the state with grant funding.

While the easements keep the property open to the public, they also keep the land on the tax rolls, unlike state-owned properties such as state parks.

The easements will also prevent the land from being developed or broken into smaller parcels that would hinder public access.

How was the conservation supposed to be funded?

The state secured funding from the Forest Legacy Program, run by the U.S. Forest Service, to help pay for about 75% of the easements. The agency was hoping to leverage funding from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to pay for the remaining 25% of the purchase — about $15.5 million for the large 56,259 acres. Another $600,000 in funding was also provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The other parcel of land, for which easements had already been purchased by the state, was worth $4.7 million and added up to 12,500 acres.

Because of the funding from the Mellon Foundation, the state no long needed approval from the Joint Finance Committee for funds from the stewardship program.

Who supported the Pelican River project?

According to information from Gathering Waters: Wisconsin's Alliance for Land Trusts, 15 local governments, tribes and lake districts have passed resolutions in support of conserving the land, including Rhinelander, The Menominee Nation and Shawano County.

Another 50 organizations and businesses have also signed on to a public letter of support, as well as a number of outdoor organizations.

"More than 2,700 individual Wisconsin residents have taken the time to contact their legislators or Governor Evers in support of the Pelican River Forest. 1,686 people signed a petition in support of Pelican River Forest," the documents said.

Has Evers gone around lawmakers before on conservation?

Yes.

In 2022, Evers used $4.5 million in COVID-relief funding to move forward with funding the Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs preserve outside Port Washington, Milwaukee Public Schools Outdoor Spaces, Caroline Lake Preserve in Ashland County, Sand Creek in Bayfield County and land in Forest County. 

All of the projects had been rejected by the finance committee and were instead conserved with the alternative funding. The Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs project received $2.3 million of that funding after an anonymous objection halted it originally.

The Cedar Gorge property is 131 acres of largely undisturbed waterfront property on the south end of Port Washington, including a steep gorge dotted with old cedar trees and pristine clay bluffs dropping down to a thin strip of shoreline. It is near the popular Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve.

Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura.