MADISON - After almost a year of meetings by the Citizens Advisory Council to work out the details of public access to land purchased through the Knowles-Nelson Steward-ship Program, a request for public hearing on Chapter NR 52 went to the Natural Resources Board at its Aug. 12 meeting in Hayward.
Rule 52 operates under the premise that all land purchases obtained through the Stewardship Program will include access for the following so-called Nature Based Outdoor Activities: Hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and cross-country skiing.
The rule creates standards and criteria that the Department of Natural Resources will use to determine if one or more of the NBOAs should be prohibited to protect safety, protect unique plant and animal communities or to accommodate usership patterns.
While that process plays out, Senator Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, has introduced legislation (Senate Bill 247) that considers public access issues left over from the most recent state budget bill.
An agreement worked out during the 2007-2009 budget cycle required the DNR to make available a directory of all land purchased with Stewardship funds and that was open to the public. The agency was also required to provide a list of all stewardship land acquired for which public access had been prohibited or restricted and the reason for the restriction or prohibition.
However, the 2009-2011 budget bill repealed both of these requirements. Kedzie's proposal would also reverse that part of the latest budget package that specifies that a stewardship project proposal subject to review by the Joint Finance Committee (greater than $750,000) will automatically be approved unless a majority of the JCF members vote to modify or deny the proposal. Thus, current law establishes "passive approval" which some conservationists believe reduces the likelihood of legislative oversight regarding planned purchases.
According to Kedzie, "Prior law made no mention of a majority of JFC members in attendance at a meeting, which raises questions as to how that provision will be used and if that is the appropriate standard for legislative oversight."
"Taxpayers have funded purchases for hundreds of thousands of acres of land over the last 20 years and with the exception of truly sensitive areas, they should be allowed to access and enjoy those lands," Kedzie said.
The changes approved in the 2009-2011 budget bill were introduced by Senator Mark Miller, D-Monona. According to him, the changes were technical in nature and "will alleviate some workload demands to a heavily overburdened staff while maintaining appropriate oversight of the program."
Sen. Miller cites "political whims" as a reason for requiring a majority vote to overturn a decision that has been made by the Department of Natural Resources. "This ensures that decisions are made on the facts of the project at hand," he said.
Rep. Scott Gunderson, a member of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee said maps and signage must be made available. "That's what made the agreement work for it (stewardship reauthorization) to pass."
"We need to keep the public informed and make information available about where these lands are," Gunderson said. "We need to let people know how they can gain access."
Larry Bonde of Manitowoc served as the Wisconsin Conservation Congress representative on the Citizen Advisory Committee. He remains highly skeptical about the intentions of some Stewardship program supporters who seem bent on limiting access.
Bonde urges everyone with access to the Internet to sign up to receive e-mail notices of any grant requests through the Stewardship program. "That's the way local sportsmen can keep track of events," he said.
Citizens can sign up online at http://dnr.wi.gov/stewardship/newsletter/index.asp.
Gunderson plans to introduce a companion bill to SB 247 in the Assembly.
- Lee Fahrney is the Monroe Times outdoors writer. He can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or at fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
Rule 52 operates under the premise that all land purchases obtained through the Stewardship Program will include access for the following so-called Nature Based Outdoor Activities: Hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and cross-country skiing.
The rule creates standards and criteria that the Department of Natural Resources will use to determine if one or more of the NBOAs should be prohibited to protect safety, protect unique plant and animal communities or to accommodate usership patterns.
While that process plays out, Senator Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, has introduced legislation (Senate Bill 247) that considers public access issues left over from the most recent state budget bill.
An agreement worked out during the 2007-2009 budget cycle required the DNR to make available a directory of all land purchased with Stewardship funds and that was open to the public. The agency was also required to provide a list of all stewardship land acquired for which public access had been prohibited or restricted and the reason for the restriction or prohibition.
However, the 2009-2011 budget bill repealed both of these requirements. Kedzie's proposal would also reverse that part of the latest budget package that specifies that a stewardship project proposal subject to review by the Joint Finance Committee (greater than $750,000) will automatically be approved unless a majority of the JCF members vote to modify or deny the proposal. Thus, current law establishes "passive approval" which some conservationists believe reduces the likelihood of legislative oversight regarding planned purchases.
According to Kedzie, "Prior law made no mention of a majority of JFC members in attendance at a meeting, which raises questions as to how that provision will be used and if that is the appropriate standard for legislative oversight."
"Taxpayers have funded purchases for hundreds of thousands of acres of land over the last 20 years and with the exception of truly sensitive areas, they should be allowed to access and enjoy those lands," Kedzie said.
The changes approved in the 2009-2011 budget bill were introduced by Senator Mark Miller, D-Monona. According to him, the changes were technical in nature and "will alleviate some workload demands to a heavily overburdened staff while maintaining appropriate oversight of the program."
Sen. Miller cites "political whims" as a reason for requiring a majority vote to overturn a decision that has been made by the Department of Natural Resources. "This ensures that decisions are made on the facts of the project at hand," he said.
Rep. Scott Gunderson, a member of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee said maps and signage must be made available. "That's what made the agreement work for it (stewardship reauthorization) to pass."
"We need to keep the public informed and make information available about where these lands are," Gunderson said. "We need to let people know how they can gain access."
Larry Bonde of Manitowoc served as the Wisconsin Conservation Congress representative on the Citizen Advisory Committee. He remains highly skeptical about the intentions of some Stewardship program supporters who seem bent on limiting access.
Bonde urges everyone with access to the Internet to sign up to receive e-mail notices of any grant requests through the Stewardship program. "That's the way local sportsmen can keep track of events," he said.
Citizens can sign up online at http://dnr.wi.gov/stewardship/newsletter/index.asp.
Gunderson plans to introduce a companion bill to SB 247 in the Assembly.
- Lee Fahrney is the Monroe Times outdoors writer. He can be reached at (608) 967-2208 or at fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
