Dear Editor,
When I began my campaign for Wisconsin’s 17th Senate District in February 2025, I thought my priorities were clear: strengthening public education, making Wisconsin more affordable, expanding rural health care, and supporting agriculture.
Then something shifted my perspective.
I realized there is a common thread beneath all of these issues. Quite literally, it is the ground beneath our feet.
When a large data center was rumored to be coming to Grant County, I began to see how deeply local landuse decisions shape our future. I joined township officials and concerned citizens to support zoning protections that would allow communities-not outside interests-to decide what belongs on their land. Soon after, Grant County adopted its own moratorium while those questions were considered.
That experience changed how I see this work.
Conservation and land management are not just environmental concerns. They shape housing, agriculture, economic development, clean water, parks, wildlife habitat, and the character of every community in the 17th Senate District. Most importantly, the quality of our environment shapes our health over a lifetime, affecting both quality of life and health care costs.
I also learned that the Knowles- Nelson Stewardship Program-long a cornerstone of Wisconsin’s conservation legacy-has been repeatedly sidelined in the state budget by Joint Finance Committee co-chairs Senator Howard Marklein and Representative Mark Born. That has real consequences and shows how easily long-term stewardship is pushed aside.
That must change!
Since then, I’ve met with Team Knowles-Nelson, Gathering Waters, Wisconsin State Park staff, and Groundswell Conservancy. Every conversation has reinforced the same truth: stewardship is not separate from affordability, farming, public health, or economic opportunity. It is the foundation beneath them all.
The water we drink, the air we breathe, the health of our soils, the future of our family farms, where homes can be built, the trails we enjoy, and the parks that define our communities all depend on how wisely we manage our land.
Too often, we try to fix problems after they emerge instead of protecting the foundation that prevents them.
Over the past sixteen months, I’ve come to believe conservation deserves to be front and center in shaping the future of the 17th Senate District. It may not always be the loudest issue, but it quietly shapes every other one.
As your next State Senator, I will work to restore and strengthen conservation funding, defend local control over land-use decisions, and ensure Wisconsin does more to protect its land, water, and outdoor heritage.
I’ve come to believe this: if we lose sight of the land, we lose sight of everything built on it.
Lisa White
Candidate- WI Senate District 17