Gov. Tony Evers announced Tuesday, Jan. 30, that he has secured federal money to complete the largest land purchase in Wisconsin history for environmental protection, bypassing Republicans in the Legislature who have blocked the project.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) planned last year to apply about $4 million from the state Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program to fund the purchase of a conservation easement on nearly 70,000 acres east of Rhinelander in Oneida County in northern Wisconsin known as the Pelican River Forest.
Environmental group calls deal to protect massive northern Wisconsin forest a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity
