Will You Make a Difference for the Driftless in 2022?
Want to take advantage of a charitable tax deduction for 2022? Looking for a way to end the year on a high note? Donate to DALC and support the Driftless! Your gift does it all: conserves land, restores habitat, builds trails, supports local communities, fights the climate crisis, and gets people active, outside, and falling in love with our beautiful Driftless region. Many, many thanks to those who have already donated. We are so grateful for your support!
Learning Opportunity: Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council Conference The Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Council will be hosting a conference on January 28th at UW - Stevens Point. The theme is "New Approaches to Prescribed Burning." This will be an all-day opportunity for practitioners, landowners, students, and volunteers to network with peers, learn about ways to expand burn opportunities, and talk with experts. Watch for registration to come soon on the WPFC website!
Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program Are you a landowner who wants to share your property with others AND access resources to improve native habitat? The DNR's Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) provides financial incentives to private landowners who open their property to public hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife observation. Landowners enrolled in VPA-HIP are also eligible to apply for additional financial assistance to create or improve wildlife habitat. Learn more on the DNR's website.
Tell Governor Evers to Fund and Fix Knowles-Nelson The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program is a key resource to fund land conservation and outdoor recreation in Wisconsin. However, the current review process means that a single member of the Joint Finance Committee can kill a project, anonymously and without any public accountability. Most recently, this occurred for the Pelican River Forest, the largest land conservation project in state history. Our partners at Gathering Waters, the statewide alliance for land trusts, are urging Wisconsinites to contact Governor Evers and ask him to restore democracy and transparency to this broken review process. Read more and make your voice heard here!
Notes From the Field When I started with DALC in October of 2021, I was thrown right into the thick of things with the year-end giving season. I didn't recognize any of the names on the letters I was sending out. I didn't know any of the reasons behind the gifts that came in. But now, more than a year later, in the final week of fundraising for 2022, I am filled with joy to know so many of you in our DALC community. I'm honored by the gifts you send us to support the things that matter most to you: connecting people to the wonder of the Driftless, preserving our incredible native species, ensuring clean local energy for our communities, and forever protecting the places and landscapes you love. I'm so grateful that you've chosen to be part of DALC - to share your time and energy and resources, to make land conservation a part of your life. Thank you for making 2022 a great year for DALC and the Driftless. Here's to an even greater 2023! Emilee Martell Development Associate emilee@driftlessconservancy.org