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GRAFTON – Five conservation projects previously rejected for funding by the Wisconsin Legislature received a combined $4.5 million in funding, under a move by Gov. Tony Evers to use COVID-relief money.
The funding, announced Thursday, will allow five projects to move forward: 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.
Department of Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole announced the funding at Lion’s Den Gorge Nature Preserve, a short distance from the Cedar Gorge site along Lake Michigan. He highlighted the importance of saving land along the Great Lakes and in other areas for current and future generations.
“Today’s investments will support continued sustainable forest management, wildlife management, habitat protection, and of course, increase outdoor public recreation,” he said. “Today, everybody across Wisconsin is a winner.”
Under provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act, passed last year, Evers has wide latitude in how the state’s COVID-19 relief money is spent. He does not need the approval of the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Calls to members of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee for comment were not immediately returned.
Other Republicans expressed outrage on social media over spending the federal money on the programs.
“These federal dollars were intended for COVID relief, now it’s going towards land acquisition,” read a tweet from the Wisconsin Assembly Republicans. “Joe Biden handing out billions to each state is the reason we have high inflation. Governor Evers is reckless with spending and Wisconsinites are paying the price.”
Adam Gibbs, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, called the efforts that were funded “pet projects” in a series of tweets.
“Gov. Evers just spent 10 lifetimes worth of tax dollars on a beach project,” he wrote.
‘This is really important’
Of the funding, the Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs Nature Preserve will receive $2.3 million, which will allow the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust to move forward with a project that has been in the works for nearly 10 years.
The amount is what the project was originally approved for through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, but the grant was rejected by an anonymous member of the Joint Finance Committee of the Legislature last year, leaving the Land Trust scrambling for funding.
State Rep. Deb Andraca, D-Whitefish Bay, said the funding will help to preserve important pieces of land, despite the fact that members of the Legislature tried to halt the project.
“I hope going forward, that the Joint Finance Committee will stop hiding behind anonymous objections and return to Wisconsin’s proud tradition of open, honest and transparent government,” she said. “Because whether it’s in life, or in government, it’s never too late to plant a tree or save a park or make a choice to do the right thing by the people of Wisconsin.”
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.
MORE:Conservationists hoped to protect Cedar Gorge, but an anonymous legislator objected to block funding
The Land Trust has been working for years to raise the $5 million needed to purchase the property for the restoration of native plants and preservation of a rare land feature.
Since the funding was rejected by the Legislature, the Land Trust has been looking for ways to persuade lawmakers to release the money before the contract with the current owner, Waukesha State Bank, expires in September. But lawmakers have remained silent about Cedar Gorge, pointing to an anonymous interested private buyer and the fact that the funding has already been rejected.
The anonymous buyer came forward in April with plans to develop the property, and alleging that by turning it into a park, the Land Trust would just be causing the county to lose money on potential property taxes. Those involved with park planning said that having public land on Lake Michigan would bring in tourism spending and other revenue for the areas near both Cedar Gorge and Lion’s Den.
Tom Stolp, executive director of the Land Trust, said the funding for the park was “nothing short of heroic.”
“Here in southeast Wisconsin, where millions of people live, over a quarter of our state’s population is within about a half-hour drive of this nature preserve,” Stolp said. “Obviously this is really important, access to the outdoors for all Wisconsin residents.”
Four other projects will move forward
The four other projects also all originally sought funding from the Knowles-Nelson program. The DNR withdrew those requests Thursday, shortly after Evers announcement. Here is a closer look at those projects:
- Milwaukee Public Schools Outdoor Spaces: $773,910 for new playground equipment, playfield renovations, and other updates. Funding was requested for the project in February 2020.
- Caroline Lake Preserve, Ashland County: $28,868, to match a donation from The Nature Conservancy for 34.5 acres. The property will allow for public access to the Caroline Lake State Natural Area, conserve wetland habitat and expand recreation opportunities in the area. Funding for the project was requested in April 2021.
- Forest County: $133,800 for land acquisition in the Town of Nashville to continue forest management in the area, enhance public access and safeguard watershed and wildlife access. Funding for the project was requested in May 2021.
- Sand Creek, Bayfield County: $1.25 million for the acquisition of property in the towns of Bayfield and Bell for forest management, public access for recreation and to protect Lake Superior watersheds on 1,999 acres of land adjacent to over 75,000 acres of Bayfield County Forest lands. Funding for the project was requested in May 2022.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on Twitter at @SchulteLaura.
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