Wisconsin Mixed Bag: DNR names Steve Hubner State Natural Areas Volunteer of the Year – Outdoor News
Madison — Darlington resident Steve Hubner has been named the State Natural Areas Volunteer of the Year for 2024 for his nearly 40 years of volunteer work at many properties around the state, including Muralt Bluff Prairie State Natural Area.
With a degree in natural resources from UW-Stevens Point, Hubner brought his skills to Green County as a founding member of the Prairie Bluff Chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts in the late 1980s. Partnerships with groups like The Prairie Enthusiasts, who co-own Muralt Bluff Prairie with the DNR, are critical to care for the over 406,000 acres of state natural areas across Wisconsin.
Since his retirement in 2012, Hubner has averaged 800 volunteer hours per year doing everything from removing invasive brush to collecting seeds and helping with prescribed burns. He also has planted prairies at Yellowstone Lake State Park, working with landowners in Lafayette County to care for a remnant prairie that’s home to a variety of rare species.
“Steve is very passionate about native prairie plants and has an appreciation for the beauty of a native prairie,” said Jared Urban, DNR state natural areas volunteer coordinator.
Hubner works on bringing in the next generation of volunteers.
“If we don’t continue to have volunteers at these remnants, they won’t be around in the future,” Hubner said. “There’s so many new invasives we’re up against. Some of us have been doing this for more than 30 years. We need younger generations to keep it going.”
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Canada Pauses Issuance of Border-Waters Crossing
International Falls, Minn. — As of late September, the Canada Border Services Agency stopped issuing new and renewing applications for individuals seeking remote area border crossing permits to cross borders via waterways. Anyone with a permit will still be able to cross the U.S. and Canada border through Pigeon River, Lake of the Woods, and Lake Superior to Canada shores. Anyone with an expired permit, or in need of one, will be out of luck – visitors will have to enter Canada via a port of entry.
This pause can affect individuals who venture onto solid ice along the Boundary Waters this winter if permits are set to expire.
The border services agency said it took the step to “review and update” its procedures. The agency has no timeline for when permits will resume.
DNR Seeking Input on Recreation Plan; Comment Deadline is Dec. 15
Madison — The DNR is seeking public input on the draft Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) that describes outdoor recreation in Wisconsin. The draft SCORP includes an analysis of the barriers residents may experience preventing them from participating in outdoor recreation.
States are required to complete SCORPs every five years to be eligible for participation in the Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program, which was enacted by Congress in 1965 to acquire and develop outdoor recreation resources. States are allocated funds as matching (50%) grants for that work.
The public may submit comments using the online input form on the DNR’s SCORP web page. Comments may be sent via mail, phone or email. Submit comments by Dec. 15 to: Wisconsin DNR, C/O John Pohlman, DNR Property Planner, 101 South Webster Street, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707; or [email protected], or call (608) 264-6263.
‘Check Out Wisconsin State Parks At Your Library’ Offers Daily Passes to Cardholders
Madison — The DNR invites all Wisconsin libraries to participate in the Check Out Wisconsin State Parks At Your Library program in 2025, a collaborative effort between the DNR, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and more than 150 libraries across the state to provide cardholders the opportunity to check out a daily pass to state parks, forests, and recreation areas.
Check Out Wisconsin State Park At Your Library daily passes for the 2025 season went on sale Nov. 13. Libraries interested in participating in this program and community partners interested in supporting their local library’s participation should visit the Check Out Wisconsin State Parks At Your Library web page.
As the program moves into its fourth year, the DNR continues to expand its scope to include public libraries, university libraries, technical college libraries and others. Check Out Wisconsin State Parks At Your Library was launched in fall 2022, with 20 libraries participating in the pilot program. In 2024, 160 libraries with over 200 locations provided daily Wisconsin state park and forest vehicle admission stickers for check out to library patrons at no cost.
