Although More People Enjoying Wisconsin's Outdoor Areas, Funding for them has Decreased

Tuesday, March 28th, 2023 -- 10:00 AM

(By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio) When COVID-19 brought lockdowns and gathering restrictions, people flocked to Wisconsin’s outdoors to escape crowds and catch a break from being confined to their homes.

But, according to Danielle Kaeding with Wisconsin Public Radio, while users crowded parks and trails, the state's financial support has been on a long decline. Outdoor recreation contributed $7.8 billion to Wisconsin’s gross domestic product in 2020.

The following year, that grew 14 percent to $8.7 billion. Jason Stein, research director for the Wisconsin Policy Forum, said that underscores the public’s strong interest and participation in Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation economy, conservation and public lands.

The state’s outdoor recreation economy is just one example of how the state relies on and benefits from its abundant natural resources, supporting more than 89,000 jobs. Wisconsin’s timber industry ranks second in the nation for employment with around 61,000 workers and generates around $6.9 billion in value to the state’s economy.

Hunting and fishing license sales grossed $70 million in 2019, ranking the fourth-highest nationally. However, a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum shows a striking decline in state tax-generated financial support for conservation, public lands and the environment.

The report was funded by various organizations that include wildlife, conservation and real estate industry groups. Despite that support, Stein said the research group insists on independence and impartiality when producing its findings.

Wisconsin has witnessed a dramatic decline in general purpose revenue or state tax funding for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  In the mid-nineties, the agency received $334 million in funding under the 1995-1997 state budget.

Under the current budget, the Wisconsin Policy Forum states that revenue declined to $197.5 million. When adjusting for inflation, the funding under the 1995-1997 state budget would be equal to $632 million today. Stein noted that’s a drop of nearly 69 percent.

The report points to shifting state tax funding for Medicaid, K-12 schools, state prisons and tax cuts as a key reason for the decline in general purpose revenue allocated to the DNR. The forum states the funding drop followed difficult post-recession budgets.

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