FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 25, 2015

CONTACT: Rep. Todd Novak 608.266.7502

 Rep. Novak Receives Gathering Waters “Policymaker” of the Year Award

MADISON – Rep. Todd Novak (Dodgeville) received the award last night at the Monona Terrace in Madison.  Gathering Waters, the Wisconsin alliance of land trusts, announced in August that Rep. Novak would receive one of their Land Conservation Leadership Awards as Policymaker of the Year.

Gathering Waters is a statewide service center for Wisconsin's land trust community. They accomplish their mission by promoting private, voluntary conservation action and strengthening Wisconsin land trusts through; direct services and consulting, government relations, and community outreach.  Their mission is to help land trusts, landowners and communities protect the places that make Wisconsin special.

“Representative Novak has been a consistent proponent of Stewardship during his first term in the legislature, and is quick to articulate the program’s importance to his district, which includes popular areas like the Lower Wisconsin Riverway and Governor Dodge State Park,” said Gathering Waters Executive Director, Mike Strigel. “Rep. Novak spoke at length with both opponents and proponents of Stewardship to help find middle-ground.  For all of these reasons and more, Gathering Waters is thrilled to honor Representative Novak.”

“I am honored to receive this award for having championed the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program in the last state budget, vocally supporting Stewardship during the budget process, and having been an active participant in a working group that successfully negotiated a compromise restoring the Stewardship funding,” said Rep. Novak.  “Thanks to the success of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, today southwest Wisconsin is home to a number of preserves and restoration areas that draw tourists, sportsmen and women and nature enthusiast alike. Preserving Wisconsin’s rich natural resources for future generations is something that I strongly believe in. I’m proud to have worked to prioritize this successful program in our state, it’s a great asset to southwestern WI, and I’m glad to see that it will continue. “

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