Bill Lunney: “A park is not just a piece of land, it’s a vibrant part of a community.” Dane County renamed a park after Lunney to honor his conservation work.
Whenever I hear a friend or colleague is being honored with a “legacy event” my immediate worry is they might be facing some sort of major health challenge.
Thankfully, that’s not the case with longtime Wisconsin conservation leader Bill Lunney, who is quick to note he’s walking three miles a day, following the Brewers fortunes and generally feeling as good as ever.
“I’m not dead yet,” laughs the loquacious Lunney. But now 77, Lunney is finally stepping away after serving 30 years as chair of the Dane County Parks Commission and over 50 years in county government.
To mark the occasion, Lunney and his wife, Judie Pfeifer, are hosting a celebration on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in conjunction with the Foundation for Dane County Parks. It’s a fundraiser disguised as a retirement party, with proceeds going to the Friends of Dane County Parks Endowment Fund.
Fittingly, the event is set for the Lussier Family Heritage Center at the newly renamed William G. Lunney Lake Farm County Park on the city’s southeast side. The name change to honor Lunney was approved by the Dane County Board earlier this summer, with a shelter at the park and a kiosk also being dedicated to Pfeifer and Lunney.
“We’re so proud to honor Bill’s hard work and leadership by naming one of Dane County’s parks after him,” says county board Chair Sharon Corrigan. “His record of service is a hallmark few achieve.”
Lunney has seemingly been everywhere on the local environmental scene for five decades — from championing land protection efforts as a county board supervisor to serving five years as president of the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks. Name a conservation group in this part of the world and there’s a good chance Lunney either spent time on its board, donated money or both.
“The continuity of Bill’s commitment to Dane County Parks is remarkable,” says Mike Slavney, past chair of the Natural Heritage Land Trust, now known as Groundswell Conservancy. “He’s provided the historical context, the policy acumen and experience to help the park system evolve from picnic tables and horseshoe pits to the full range of public benefits it now provides.”
Lunney says he is personally most excited these days about working with Pfeifer to establish the Foundation for Dane County Parks. The foundation has established an endowment fund to provide ongoing support for the parks system and has raised more than $600,000 in just five years. One of its first projects is helping to add new fishing piers in eight different park locations to provide access for people with disabilities, with the first coming at Babcock County Park in McFarland.
“To see the outpouring of support for the endowment has been very humbling,” says Lunney, who counts environmental writers Stewart Udall and E.O. Wilson for helping him develop a life-long philosophy that all things on the planet are interconnected.
Lunney grew up in upstate New York, earned a law degree at the University of North Carolina, and came to Madison directly after graduation to work for Wisconsin Gov. Warren Knowles. Later he worked for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to coordinate a multi-year effort to reform the Judicial Article of the Wisconsin Constitution.
Along the way he also found time to speak at the first Earth Day event in Madison, cofound the area’s first hospice service (now called Agrace) and lead the effort to convert Dane County from an administrator form of government to one with an elected executive.
“Bill has shaped our community in a lot of ways that not everyone is aware of,” says County Executive Joe Parisi. “He’s had the vision to look generations in the future.”
Still, it’s the conservation side that is forever linked with Lunney. He was an early advocate for protecting Dunn’s Marsh from development and protecting wetlands statewide. Under his leadership, Dane County parkland and natural resource areas quadrupled in size from 3,500 acres to more than 15,000 acres today.
“A park is not just a piece of land, it is a vibrant part of a community,” Lunney says. “It’s a source of pride and a place for people to reconnect with nature and the natural beauty around them.”
