Real Estate Program: Land Acquisition Funding

Funding for the Department's land acquisition programs comes from multiple sources. These include:

The Stewardship 2000 Program

This program was created for the purpose of acquiring land to protect Wisconsin's natural resources and expand recreational opportunities throughout the state. Read more about the Stewardship Program

Pittman-Robertson Federal Act

This program is a federal excise tax on hunting equipment. The tax provides funding to states for the restoration and improvement of wildlife habitat. Federal funds are allocated each year based on the total revenue generated by the State of Wisconsin through the purchases of hunting equipment. Congress approved the act in 1937. Read more about the Pittman-Robertson program (Exit DNR)

Sport Fish Restoration Act (formerly known as Dingell-Johnson Act)

This is a federal excise tax on fishing equipment, motors, yachts, and pleasure craft. The tax provides funding to states for fish restoration and management projects. Federal funds are allocated each year based on the total revenue generated by the State of Wisconsin. Read more about the Sport Fish Restoration program (Exit DNR)

Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund

This program was established to create parks and open spaces, protect wilderness, wetlands, and refuges, preserve wildlife habitat, and enhance recreational opportunities. Funds are divided among the states using a formula based primarily on population. Read more about the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (Exit DNR)

Forest Legacy Program

The goal of this program is to identify and protect important forest areas and aid in conservation through the purchase of conservation easements. The Federal Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to make a grant to the state to carry out the Forest Legacy Program in Wisconsin, including the acquisition of land. Read more about the Forest Legacy Program (Exit DNR)

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants Program

This provides matching grants to private or public organizations or to individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Act was passed, in part, to support activities under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, an international agreement that provides a strategy for the long-term protection of wetlands and associated uplands needed by waterfowl and other migratory birds in North America. Read more about the The North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants Program (Exit DNR)

The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program

This program keeps productive farmland in privately owned agricultural use by assisting States, Tribes, and local government or non-profit entities in the purchase of conservation easements or development rights on prime, unique, or other productive farmland, or on farms containing significant historical or archaeological resources. Read more about the The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (Exit DNR)

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