Journal Sentinel reports on the Downer Woods issue

Well, more people are on notice now. My take, as it has been, is that putting the fate of Downer Woods into the hands of a remade, essentially rechartered UWM under the control of a very problematic Walker-appointed Authority does not insure that the Downer Woods are maintained under their current, legally-protected permanent preservation.

Furthermore, a budget that suspends the land acquisition Stewardship Fund and cuts other environmental programs, a budget that contains other major policy surprises to the entire UW System and other agencies, a budget introduced by the same Governor Walker who has just flipped on issues as diverse as abortion and right-to-work offers little reason to believe that the Downer Woods are a priority for preservation

Milwaukee historian John Gurda, through Dom Noth, gets the last word:

"For well over a century, Downer Woods has survived threats from developers, overzealous university administrators and invasive species,” Gurda wrote me.  “It would be a tragedy if this remnant of our ecological past fell victim to a governor who's entirely willing to sacrifice long-term beauty for short-term gain. Scott Walker literally can't see the forest for the trees."