For many people, the average environmentalist and the average hunter or fisherman exist on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Some perceive a sportsman as someone looking to exploit the resources that an environmentalist would try to protect. In reality, these two groups often have very similar goals.
While they approach the environment from different angles, environmentalists and hunters both hold the preservation of natural areas as an important principle of their craft. A unique piece of legislation has united these two groups.
In 1989, the state Legislature created the State Stewardship Fund, which is money set aside for purchasing land, usually with some sort of natural significance.
Since its inception, the Stewardship Fund has provided for the purchase of almost 130,000 acres of critical wildlife and fish habitat. Since the land is bought by the state, it is almost entirely available for public use.
The Stewardship Fund keeps natural areas safe from development, satisfying environmentalists and ensuring the creation of new areas open for hunters and fishermen to use. The Legislature is certainly consistant with the great environmental tradition that the likes of John Muir and Gaylord Nelson have set for our state.
The original legislation set aside $60 million per year for the Stewardship Fund and is set to expire in 2010. While legislators have agreed to continue the program, the state Assembly has proposed cutting that allotment to $25 million a year, a $35 million reduction from current funding.
Although the need to keep the state within budget is understandable, cutting money from the Stewardship Fund is not the way to do it. This would be a terrible loss for the state of Wisconsin for many reasons.
There is an obvious environmental benefit to setting aside land that has not already been scarred by industry and development. Truly beautiful natural landscapes are disappearing quickly in Wisconsin.
As a major influence on the Earth and its creatures, humans have a duty to do what they can to protect these natural places whenever possible.
Many of the areas that have been purchased by the Stewardship Fund serve as critical habitats for rare and endangered species. In addition, many of them perform important functions for us, serving as water purification systems or sources of renewable resources.
In addition to the ethical considerations of land preservation, there is an economic benefit as well. A significant portion of the state economy is based around natural tourism.
People travel from all over to take advantage of the plethora of wild places that allow activities ranging from downhill skiing to bird watching.
Forest-dependent tourism accounts for almost the entire economy of the northern half of Wisconsin. Losing wild land means losing out on money that can be gained from tourists who enjoy nature.
Lastly, the Stewardship Fund unites all lovers of the outdoors in their quest to make Wisconsin a desirable place to live. It provides an excellent opportunity for protecting the environment while still allowing us to use available resources.
It is rare in the way that it satisfies both environmentalists and hunters alike. In a world where conflict seems to take over almost every aspect of our existence, we must preserve this innovative and insightful piece of legislation.
Julia Kolberg is a sophomore majoring in biological systems engineering. Please send responses to_ \opinion@dailycardinal.com."":mailto:opinion@dailycardinal.com
