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MADISON – On Monday, April 24, 2017, Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) voted “no” on a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Stewardship Program purchase of 990.55 acres in Dunn County from Northern States Power Company as presented to the Joint Finance Committee (JFC). The request passed the JFC with a vote of 13-2. The JFC approved $1,898,000 or $1,900 per acre and $16,000 appraisal costs.

“I support this project and the stewardship program, but I continue to have concerns about the appraisal process and the DNR’s approach to these deals,” Marklein said. “This purchase is yet another example of the DNR offering too much for property that would not otherwise sell for this price. They are not trying to get the best deal for taxpayers and sportsmen. The better deal we get, the more land we can purchase through the stewardship program.”

The original request from the DNR, proposed on August 4, 2016, was to acquire the property for $2,080,200 or $2,100 per acre.  This was based on a collection of appraisals that ranged from $1,600 to $2,400.

“As a member of the Joint Finance Committee, I will continue to work with the DNR to improve the stewardship land purchase process,” Marklein said. “I am committed to being a good steward of taxpayer dollars for all residents of Wisconsin, including the sportsmen and women in our state who trust us with this important program.”

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