The DNR recommended the plan for the new area, which has 35,700 acres of public land and calls for another 20,800 acres of wildlife and natural areas, 3,801 acres of conservation parks, 1,344 acres of linking trails, and 2,075 acres of river conservation areas. The land would be acquired primarily with Knowles-Nelson Stewardship funds.

The goals of the area, according to the DNR’s Steve Miller, are to provide outdoor recreation, preserve wildlife and water resources, complement protection of farmland, and work across jurisdictions.

The location, Jefferson County, is between Milwaukee and Madison, and within 100 miles of more than 10 million people. Miller said there’s a need to buy recreational land close to where people live.

The effort for wildlife and natural areas will include expanding all 11 wildlife areas, including improved public access and hunting and trapping, establishing a new Crawfish Prairie Habitat Area, and establishing rural landscape protection areas.

The controversial part was the proposed conservation parks that include expanding five parks and creating seven parks.

Miller said that portions of the parks where hunting does not conflict with primary park users will be opened to limited hunting. This is expected to be the nine-day gun deer, muzzleloader, late bow deer, and spring turkey seasons.

However, state parks are closed to all trapping and closed to hunting unless opened specifically.

The NRB heard from 11 citizens, all in favor of the plan. However, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation Executive Director George Meyer, a representative from the Wisconsin Trappers Association, and Ed Harvey, chairman of the Conservation Congress, asked for the conservation parks to be designated as recreation areas, where hunting and trapping would be allowed.

Meyer said that changing the designation from conservation parks to recreation areas would allow hunting and trapping. During 90 percent of the planning process, Meyer said, these areas were designated as state recreation areas, but at the last minute they were changed to conservation parks.

“The significance of that change, and maybe the reason for that change, is that if the land were designated a recreation area and purchased with Stewardship funds, that opens the area to hunting and trapping, and if there would be … problems they could be restricted or prohibited on an individual basis. But the ability to make that decision is gone by their classification as a park,” Meyer said. “It appears that may have been a reason for the change.”

Harvey said the original proposal included the areas as recreation areas and the new designation “appears to have no purpose but to assure that hunting and trapping in those areas can be closed or limited. Parks are closed to trapping outright, and to hunting unless a process takes place to open some forms (of hunting).

“We object to what appears to be (a) trend to buy large properties as park properties. The issue is that 3,500 acres is a … significant area. We should start with the premise that multiple uses can be accommodated and go from there. We understand that when an area is used by campers, hikers, and bikers certain hunting and trapping activity may be restricted, but the DNR must lead by example, and it is wrong to create exempt areas,” Harvey said.

Jefferson County Board chair Sharon Schmeling said the board voted unanimously to support the plan.

When asked by the NRB about the county board’s support and whether it depended on the designation of the conservation parks, she indicated they supported the project, with “more recreation land, more opportunities for hunting and access to natural resources, but left it to the Natural Resources Board to decide what is the best vehicle to do that.”

Miller said there was a lot of discussion over the designation, and the conservation park designation was made because it best fits the primary intent.

“There was no intent to deliberately preclude hunting or trapping,” Miller said.

DNR Bureau of Wildlife Director Tom Hauge noted the influence of the Madison and Milwaukee areas and said various recreational uses are always a balance.

“I am very comfortable with the give and take that has taken place here,” Hauge said, noting that more than 20,000 acres would be purchased for additional wildlife areas.

Dan Schuler, DNR state parks director, backed the designation as conservation parks to protect the land features and link trails.

NRB member John Welter, of Eau Claire, took exception to the change in designation.

“I’m concerned about the precedent,” Welter said. “I look at the list of these conservation parks and some might lend themselves to a particular use. It strikes me (that) we are trying to fit there (differing) parcels into one legal designation. If we put it into a different designation (recreation area) and if someone decided there was a good reason to not allow an activity, they should go through a determinative process. I think it would be wise for us to put it under the recreation area designation, and if a restriction is needed, then go through that restrictive process rather than starting with this new animal of a conservation park.”

NRB member Preston Cole, of Milwaukee, asked the DNR about the name “conservation park,” and said it put the entire project in jeopardy. It established policy, he said, that should have come to the board for approval.

NRB member Gary Rohde, of River Falls, said he wanted to know the criteria that differentiates a conservation park from a wildlife area or a state park and natural area.

DNR Secretary Matt Frank went to bat for the proposal and said that he disagreed the DNR was going out of its way to limit hunting. “We are already opening more land for public wildlife areas and we need to open more hunting opportunities close to where people live,” he said.

Welter had a second concern: If counties buy land with Stewardship funds, they have to come up with half of the money and then turn it over to the DNR to manage. But, if the DNR buys the land with Stewardship money, it pays all of the cost and then turns the land over to be managed by counties.

“Counties are going to … ask us to buy land and turn it over to the county to manage. Did the Legislature intend for us to do this?” Welter asked.

Welter made a motion to designate the conservation parks as recreation areas. The motion died for lack of a second.

The motion to approve the plan was then approved 6-0. NRB chair Christine Thomas did not attend the meeting and was not included on the vote.