DNR sells land that governor, Legislature said to get rid of
“Land,” President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, “is about the safest investment in the world.”
Unless, of course, you are the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and you have been instructed by Gov. Scott Walker and the Legislature to sell 10,000 acres of state-owned land by June 30, 2017.
The DNR’s seven-citizen Natural Resources Board was expected to approve the eventual sale of 5,900 acres of state-owned wildlife lands when it met in Madison this week. If they did so, the state’s land-sale portfolio will rise to 7,306 acres, or 73 percent of the 10,000-acre goal mandated by Madison lawmakers. Selected land would be offered up to individuals, companies or other government entities.
Proponents of the sale were concerned over interest payments on land purchased through the Stewardship Program’s land debts, which at the time were costing over $1 million weekly. Those on the other side of the coin, however, countered it was a matter of priorities. The debt they said, cost about 25 cents per week per Wisconsinite, and was an investment in the state’s annual $12 billion outdoor recreation industry and $20 billion forestry industry.
So what is the economic impact of federal, state, county and municipal land ownership? Not counting any payments in lieu of taxes, the economic impact on public land use in our county and state is huge.
In our county of Portage alone, according to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism in 2014, $111 million was realized in traveler expenses utilizing our rural outdoor and urban attractions. 2014 tourist dollars spent on gas, lodging and meals. My guess is the $111 million figure is on the low side – that is if you add up the undocumented economic effect of the numerous other events and public land holdings.
Try as I might, I was unable to find concrete numbers on the economic impact of specific land holdings. Within Portage County’s 824 square miles of land area lie numerous municipal, county and state owned land. Imagine the economic impact of Stevens Point’s 30.5-mile Green Circle Trail, Schmeeckle Reserve and area municipal parks.
Envision the dollars generated from county parks like DuBay, Collins, Jordan, Lake Emily, Standing Rocks – 16 miles of county cross country ski trails and 292 miles of snowmobile trails – four camping areas, an archery and shooting range, access to fishing, power boating, sailing, water skiing, fitness trails, playgrounds, softball and sandlot diamonds, horseshoe pits, historical sites, public hunting areas, mountain biking trails, a dog exercise area, horseback riding trails, dog sledding, disc golf courses and volleyball courts.
Eight of 40 Portage County lakes have county parks located on them. According to the county Parks Department, “they provide beaches, lake access for fishing and boating, shelter houses, playgrounds, and three have overnight camping and associated facilities.
Most of the other lakes have access points that are owned by town, villages or cities.” Our county also boasts of many miles of high class trout streams, much of which is bordered by state-owned property.
Speaking of the largest landowner in the county, the state, imagine the economic impact of the Mead Wildlife Area, Dewey Marsh, and the Buena Vista and Paul Olson Grasslands? What about the numerous smaller state wildlife areas mentioned above that border trout streams? The list goes on and on.
Do we have too much land in our county under public ownership? I think not. We are blessed with ample space to recreate and spend our leisure time outdoors and could afford more. We should count our blessings and the money generated by the land we already own.
Mark Twain and Will Rogers shared a common sentiment. “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.”