Dan
Butkus
Water Conservationist of the Year
Awarded in 2025
For outstanding contributions to the conservation of our water. Recipient could be a landowner, administrator, technician, or organization involved with such things as watershed management, estuarine conservation, wild rivers protection, wetlands, and protection of surface or groundwater quality and quantity standards.
President of Wisconsin Lakes, Dan led the creation of two lake districts in Oneida County and installed shoreline best practices at his family home through the Healthy Lakes and Rivers Program. A natural leader, he keeps citizens engaged in water policy and united over 70 groups in Wisconsin’s largest-ever coalition to address wake boat impacts. He also championed the Pelican Lake Forest acquisition, proving his unmatched ability to rally people and protect Wisconsin’s waters.