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Executive Director’s Report
The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation is running on all cylinders and we are modernizing in ways that will better serve our members, affiliates, and partners well into the future.
Across the organization, we are making strong, measurable progress on our five-year strategic plan work that is intentionally focused on building the conservation organization Wisconsin will rely on not just today, but for the next 100+ years. As part of that effort, we have made significant investments in modernizing how we operate and how we communicate. We have launched a new website, streamlined our membership processing to be more efficient than ever before, and transitioned from a traditional paper newsletter to this new digital format.
These improvements are not just cosmetic. Modernizing our website, membership systems, and communications allows WiWF to be more timely, responsive, and relevant. Moving to an online newsletter gives us the ability to share information faster, provide updates in near real-time, and better meet the expectations of today’s members while still staying true to our mission of advocating for wildlife, protecting outdoor traditions, and ensuring sustainability for generations to come. Together, these changes strengthen the foundation of the organization and position WiWF to be a trusted, durable, science-based, and non-partisan voice for conservation across Wisconsin.
Policy & Lobbying Update
On the policy front, the pace in Madison has accelerated quickly as the legislative session moves toward its close and campaigning for re-election comes into focus. In moments like this, clarity and consistency matter more than ever.
The fight to reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program continues, and while the program itself remains widely valued, the surrounding policy environment has become increasingly complex and politically contentious due to broader, underlying dynamics at the Capitol. Multiple bills and significant amendments are in play, and the landscape continues to shift. The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation is closely monitoring these developments and actively navigating the evolving policy proposals to ensure the program remains effective, intact, and true to its original purpose as a land acquisition tool used by the Department of Natural Resources, local governments, and nonprofit partners alike. You can be confident that WiWF is in the trenches engaged every day in this process working through a challenging political moment on an issue that Wisconsinites across the state rely on and deeply care about.
At the same time, numerous other conservation-related policy proposals are moving through the Legislature. As always, WiWF is fully engaged tracking bills, working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and advocating for outcomes that benefit wildlife and the people who depend on healthy ecosystems.
Finally, beyond any single bill or budget cycle, our work continues to focus on the bigger picture: securing sustainable, long-term conservation funding for Wisconsin’s fish, wildlife,
and outdoor recreation programs. These investments are critical to ensuring that future generations inherit the same opportunities—and responsibilities—that we enjoy today.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement. Your voice and involvement make this work possible. |
