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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: *Feb. 4, 2026
*Contact: *DNR Office of Communications
[email protected]

 

Stewardship Friends Grants Approved For 32 DNR Improvement Projects

 

The new Lapham Lodge was completed through a multiphase project that received funding from Stewardship Grants to Friends Groups program. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

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MADISON, Wis.* – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the approval of Stewardship funding for Friends Grants to 29 nonprofit organizations for improvements at DNR-managed properties across the state. The State Building Commission approved the funding for 32 projects totaling $499,144 in Stewardship grant dollars, leveraging $572,061 in matching contributions and $3 million in total project costs.

The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund was created in 1989 to preserve important natural communities, protect water quality and fisheries, and expand opportunities for outdoor recreation. A portion of the Stewardship funds from the state’s biennial budget is used to support important recreational projects and improvements at state properties.

Many construction and property development projects at state parks, trails, forests and other state-managed lands are made possible with the Stewardship Program’s annual funding. Stewardship funds support several DNR-administered grant programs, including grants to Friends Groups. Through the Stewardship Friends Grant Program, the DNR partners with Friends Groups and nonprofit conservation organizations to improve facilities, build new recreation projects and restore habitat at state-managed properties.

Each year, $500,000 from the Stewardship Program is set aside for grants to Friends Groups and nonprofit conservation organizations. The DNR recognizes the important role Friends Groups play in meeting the development and restoration needs of state-managed properties. Thank you to these partners for their dedication and continued support for the DNR and these projects.

The following projects were approved and will move forward in the grant award process:


* Friends of Aztalan State Park – Aztalan Visitors Center Phase II
* Friends of Blue Mound State Park – Amphitheater Phase III
* Friends of Buckhorn State Park – Hiking Trail Bridge Replacement
* Friends of Copper Falls State Park – Signage Renovation
* Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park – Quartzite Campground Picnic Tables
* Friends of Governor Nelson State Park – Hogan House Restoration Phase II
* Friends of Harrington Beach State Park – Welcome Center Deck Replacement
* Friends of High Cliff State Park – Lime Kiln Trail Remediation Phase III
* Ice Age Trail Alliance – Trail Development at Interstate Park
* Friends of Interstate and Straight Lake State Parks – Pollinator Pocket Prairie Median Signage
* Friends of Interstate and Straight Lake State Parks – Nature Journaling Trail Signage
* Friends of the Kettle Moraine, Inc. – Ice Age Visitor Center Vegetation Rehabilitation
* Kettle Moraine Natural History Association – Firewood Storage and Sales Lockers
* Friends of Lapham Peak – Accessible Fishing Pier and Path
* Friends of Kohler-Andrae State Park, Inc. – Kohler-Andrae Amphitheater Phase II
* Lake Kegonsa State Park Friends Group – Universal Kayak Launch
* Friends of the Military Ridge State Trail – Wayfinding Trail Signage Phase I
* Friends of Mirror Lake State Park – Interpretive Signs and Updated Trail Maps Phase II
* Friends of Mirror Lake State Park – Sandstone Campground ADA Restroom Improvements
* Friends of Mirror Lake State Park – Beach Shelter Concrete Expansion
* Friends of Navarino Wildlife Area – Visitor Center and Facilities Improvements
* Newport Wilderness Society – Expansion of Backcountry Campsites
* North Country Trail Association – Nemadji Segment Development Phase I
* Friends of Pattison and Amnicon Falls State Parks – Firewood Shed Replacement
* Friends of Peninsula State Park, Inc. – Fire Rings and Picnic Tables Phase II
* Friends of Perrot State Park – Entrance Sign Installation
* Friends of Point Beach State Forest – Playground Update Phase II
* Friends of Potawatomi State Park – Open Air Shelter Design and Construction Phase I
* Friends of Red Cedar State Trail – Trailhead Depot Visitor Safety Upgrades
* Friends of Rib Mountain State Park – Safety Handrail Replacement
* Friends of Willow River and Kinnickinnic State Parks – Universal Kayak and Canoe Launch
* Friends of Yellowstone Lake State Park – Universal Beach Facilities and Beach Access

Learn more about the Stewardship Grant and Friends Group programs on the DNR's Friends Groups webpage [ [link removed] ].







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