During Monday’s regular board meeting town officials and residents discussed the announcement conservation giant The Nature Conservancy has applied for a 50/50 state grant to purchase 160 acres at an unspecified location in the township.

On Friday the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced TNC seeks money from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. If the grant is approved and the purchase goes through, the land would be open for hunting, hiking and nature appreciation. DNR officials have decided on a preliminary basis the proposal will not have negative environmental impacts and they will not require an environmental impact statement, according to a DNR press release.

In response to a question from resident Warren Terry, town officials said they haven’t received written notification of the land purchase or location of the property.

Treasurer Barb Terry and Supervisor Randy Puttkamer said Steve Richter of the Conservancy called them saying the group would be donating $7,750 to the township.

"They brought up they are going to do a donation equivalent to what the taxes were being pulled off of the tax roles last year," said Treasurer Barb Terry. "They threw out the figure of $7,750 to me."

Terry noted they can’t include the donation in the budget until TNC commits in writing that they will get the money.

"That’s the message he left me also, they were going to ‘try,’ " Puttkamer said.

His comment brought a surge of wry laughter from residents and board members.

"I try to lose weight every year," Supervisor Steve Hess quipped.

Puttkamer said TNC is aware making more property tax-exempt is not popular.

In January The Nature Conservancy informed Sauk County officials it would make 9,000 acres in Sauk County exempt from property taxes, ending a long-term practice of leaving conservation land on local tax rolls. County officials subsequently decided not to fight the change in status.

At the time Richter said their tax bill for property in Sauk County had grown to $365,000. He told the News Republic the group spends about half its budget in the Sauk County area on taxes. They planned payments of between $1,300 and $15,500 to townships with large areas of TNC-owned land, with all payments at TNC’s discretion.

The News Republic left a message at Richter’s phone number seeking clarification about the new land purchase and $7,700 payment. He did not return the call by deadline.

The DNR is inviting public comment on the proposed 50/50 stewardship grant.

Send comments to: Vance Rayburn, Administrator of the Customer and Employee Services Division, c/o Mary Rothenmaier. Comments may be left with Rothenmaier by phone; — (608) 275-3322 or via e-mail — Mary.Rothenmaier@Wisconsin.gov.

The deadline is 4:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20.