LRB-1803/1
EHS/EVM/ZDW/MDK:jld
2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE
May 19, 2017 - Introduced by Representatives August, Felzkowski, Sanfelippo,
Spiros, Tusler, Kuglitsch, Murphy, Schraa, R. Brooks, Hutton and Knodl,
cosponsored by Senators Nass, Tiffany, Feyen, Craig and LeMahieu.
Referred to Committee on State Affairs.
AB338,2,2 1An Act to repeal 24.09 (2), 24.11 (1) (c), 24.59 (3), 24.605 and 24.61 (2) (cm); to
2renumber
24.09 (1) (b) and 24.09 (1) (c); to renumber and amend 24.09 (1)
3(a), 24.09 (1) (bm) and 24.09 (1) (d); to amend 20.285 (1) (rm) (title), 20.507 (1)
4(h), 20.866 (2) (ta), 23.0917 (3) (br) 2., 23.0917 (3) (bt) 2., 24.01 (1), 24.01 (4),
524.01 (5), 24.01 (7), 24.01 (9), 24.01 (10), 24.09 (title), 24.10 (1), 24.10 (2), 24.59
6(1), 36.49 (title) and 36.49 (3); and to create 23.0917 (3) (br) 3., 23.0917 (3) (bt)
73., 23.0917 (3) (bu), 23.0917 (3) (dm) 9., 23.1989, 28.12, 36.49 (4) and 59.52 (6)
8(f) of the statutes; relating to: sale of public lands owned by the Board of
9Commissioners of Public Lands to the state; county management of certain
10state lands; merit scholarships for certain University of Wisconsin System
11students; the obligation of moneys for land acquisition under the Warren

1Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship 2000 Program; and making an
2appropriation (at the request of the state treasurer).
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill allows the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands to sell all
properties under its jurisdiction to the state and, if BCPL does so, requires the
Department of Natural Resources to purchase those lands under the Warren
Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship 2000 Program. The bill also allows counties
to elect to manage these lands. The bill reduces the amounts DNR must set aside
under the land acquisition subprogram of the stewardship program for DNR to
acquire land and to provide grants to counties and for grants to nonprofit
conservation organizations. The bill also requires the Board of Regents of the
University of Wisconsin System to award merit scholarships to certain students.
Sale of public lands. Under current law, BCPL manages the common school
fund, the normal school fund, the university fund, and the agricultural college fund
(trust funds). The trust funds were established from the proceeds of the sale of most
of the land granted to this state by the federal government at the time of statehood.
BCPL manages the remaining lands granted by the federal government to this state
and also administers a state trust fund loan program under which it makes loans,
from moneys belonging to the trust funds, to school districts, local governments, and
certain other public entities for certain public purposes.
Under this bill, if BCPL determines that the sale of all lands under its
jurisdiction will not breach its duty as trustee, BCPL may sell all properties under
its jurisdiction to the state. If BCPL sells this property, the bill requires DNR to
purchase it and to pay for the purchase in annual installments.
Under current law, the state may incur public debt for certain conservation
activities under the stewardship program, which is administered by DNR. The state
may bond for various conservation activities under the program, one of which is land
acquisition. This bill requires DNR, beginning in fiscal year 2017-18 and ending in
fiscal year 2026-27, to set aside $10,000,000 each fiscal year under the stewardship
program, which may be obligated for the purpose of making the annual installment
payments for the purchase of BCPL land. Under the bill, DNR is required to use
those amounts to make installment payments of no more than $10,000,000 each
fiscal year until the total amount paid equals the appraised value of the land, except
no payments may be made after fiscal year 2026-27.
Beginning in fiscal year 2017-18 and ending in fiscal year 2019-20, this bill
reduces from $9,000,000 to $2,000,000 the amount that may be obligated for DNR
land acquisition and for grants to counties for land acquisition, and reduces from
$7,000,000 to $4,000,000 the amount that may be obligated as grants to nonprofit
conservation organizations for land acquisition.
County management of DNR land. The bill authorizes a county board to
manage, maintain, and improve any of the land DNR acquires from BCPL that is
located in that county. Under the bill, if the county board adopts a resolution within

six months after the effective date of this bill stating its intent to manage, maintain,
and improve any such land, including a description of the land, and provides notice
of the resolution to DNR, and if DNR provides notice to the county that it has
acquired the land, then the county is required to, and DNR is required to allow the
county to, manage, maintain, and improve the land (department land).
The bill allows a county to incorporate department land into its comprehensive
county forest land use plan, if one exists, without DNR approval and allows the
county to use county forest administration grants and sustainable forestry grants
obtained under the county forest law for department land. The bill grants a county
board many of the powers with respect to department land that a county board
currently has with respect to county forests, such as regulating the use of the land
by the public, establishing forest plantations, and engaging in silviculture, forest
management, and timber sales. Similar to a current requirement under the county
forest law, the bill requires any timber sale from department land with an estimated
value of $3,000 or more, except for timber that has been damaged by fire, snow, hail,
ice, insects, disease, or wind, to be by sealed bid or public sale after fulfilling a
publication requirement and allows any timber sale with an estimated value below
$3,000 to be made without prior advertising.
The bill authorizes a county board to adopt a resolution stating that the county
no longer intends to manage, maintain, and improve department land and requires
the county board to notify DNR of this resolution as soon as practicable after its
adoption, at which point the county's responsibility to manage, maintain, and
improve the land ends.
Wisconsin Merit scholarships. The bill requires the Board of Regents to
award merit-based annual $5,000 scholarships to students enrolled in two-year or
four-year UW schools who have graduated from an in-state high school or been
granted a high school diploma by the administrator of an in-state home-based
private educational program. The scholarships are called “Wisconsin Merit
scholarships.” The bill requires the Board of Regents to determine student merit
based on performance on standardized college entrance examinations and, if
applicable, cumulative high school grade point averages. Under current law, income
and interest from the normal school fund is appropriated to the Board of Regents to
do the following annually: 1) make need-based grants totaling $100,000 to students
at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies who are members of
underrepresented groups; 2) provide scholarships totaling $100,000 to students
enrolled in the sustainable management degree program through the
UW-Extension; and 3) award the balance to the UW-Stevens Point for
environmental programs. Under the bill, the Board of Regents must provide
$200,000 annually to the UW-Stevens Point for environmental programs and award
the balance in the scholarships required under the bill.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB338,1 1Section 1 . 20.285 (1) (rm) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,4,32 20.285 (1) (rm) (title) Environmental program grants and scholarships;
3Wisconsin Merit scholarships
.
AB338,2 4Section 2. 20.507 (1) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,4,155 20.507 (1) (h) Trust lands and investments — general program operations. The
6amounts in the schedule for the general program operations of the board as provided
7under ss. 24.04, 24.09 (1) (bm) (3), 24.53 and 24.62 (1). All amounts deducted from
8the gross receipts of the appropriate funds as provided under ss. 24.04, 24.09 (1) (bm)
9(3), 24.53 and 24.62 (1) shall be credited to this appropriation account.
10Notwithstanding s. 20.001 (3) (a), the unencumbered balance at the end of each fiscal
11year shall be transferred to the trust funds, as defined under s. 24.60 (5). The amount
12transferred to each trust fund, as defined under s. 24.60 (5), shall bear the same
13proportion to the total amount transferred to the trust funds that the gross receipts
14of that trust fund bears to the total gross receipts credited to this appropriation
15account during that fiscal year.
AB338,3 16Section 3. 20.866 (2) (ta) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,5,1017 20.866 (2) (ta) Natural resources; Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson
18stewardship 2000 program.
From the capital improvement fund a sum sufficient for
19the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship 2000 program under s. 23.0917.
20The state may contract public debt in an amount not to exceed $1,046,250,000
21$1,116,250,000 for this program. Except as provided in s. 23.0917 (4g) (b), (4m) (k),

1(5), (5g), and (5m), the amounts obligated, as defined in s. 23.0917 (1) (e), under this
2paragraph may not exceed $46,000,000 in fiscal year 2000-01, may not exceed
3$46,000,000 in fiscal year 2001-02, may not exceed $60,000,000 in each fiscal year
4beginning with fiscal year 2002-03 and ending with fiscal year 2009-10, may not
5exceed $86,000,000 in fiscal year 2010-11, may not exceed $60,000,000 in fiscal year
62011-12, may not exceed $60,000,000 in fiscal year 2012-13, may not exceed
7$47,500,000 in fiscal year 2013-14, may not exceed $54,500,000 in fiscal year
82014-15, and may not exceed $33,250,000 in each fiscal year beginning with 2015-16
9and ending with fiscal year 2019-20, and may not exceed $10,000,000 in each fiscal
10year beginning with 2020-21 and ending with fiscal year 2026-27
.
AB338,4 11Section 4 . 23.0917 (3) (br) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,5,1312 23.0917 (3) (br) 2. For each fiscal year beginning with 2015-16 and ending with
132019-20
2016-17, $7,000,000.
AB338,5 14Section 5 . 23.0917 (3) (br) 3. of the statutes is created to read:
AB338,5,1615 23.0917 (3) (br) 3. For each fiscal year beginning with 2017-18 and ending with
162019-20, $4,000,000.
AB338,6 17Section 6 . 23.0917 (3) (bt) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,5,1918 23.0917 (3) (bt) 2. For each fiscal year beginning with 2015-16 and ending with
19fiscal year 2019-20 2016-17, $9,000,000.
AB338,7 20Section 7 . 23.0917 (3) (bt) 3. of the statutes is created to read:
AB338,5,2221 23.0917 (3) (bt) 3. For each fiscal year beginning with 2017-18 and ending with
22fiscal year 2019-20, $2,000,000.
AB338,8 23Section 8 . 23.0917 (3) (bu) of the statutes is created to read:
AB338,6,224 23.0917 (3) (bu) In obligating moneys under the subprogram for land
25acquisition, the department shall set aside $10,000,000 for each fiscal year

1beginning with 2017-18 and ending with 2026-27 to be obligated only for the
2department to make installment payments for the purchase of land under s. 23.1989.
AB338,9 3Section 9. 23.0917 (3) (dm) 9. of the statutes is created to read:
AB338,6,54 23.0917 (3) (dm) 9. For each fiscal year beginning with 2020-21 and ending
5with fiscal year 2026-27, $10,000,000.
AB338,10 6Section 10. 23.1989 of the statutes is created to read:
AB338,6,13 723.1989 Acquisition of certain public lands. (1) Beginning in fiscal year
82017-18 and ending in fiscal year 2026-27, from the appropriation under s. 20.866
9(2) (ta), the department shall set aside $10,000,000 in each fiscal year that may be
10obligated only to make installment payments for the purchase of land from the board
11of commissioners of public lands under s. 24.59 (1). For purposes of s. 23.0917,
12moneys provided from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) shall be treated as
13moneys obligated under the subprogram under s. 23.0917 (3).
AB338,6,17 14(1m) Subject to subs. (2) to (4), if the board of commissioners of public lands
15sells land under s. 24.59 (1), the department shall purchase the land. The
16department shall pay for the land purchased under this subsection in installments,
17as provided in subs. (2) to (4).
AB338,6,22 18(2) Notwithstanding s. 24.11 (1) (b) and except as provided in sub. (4), the
19department shall make installment payments of $10,000,000 in each fiscal year
20beginning in fiscal year 2017-18 until the total amount paid under this subsection
21equals the value of the land established under s. 24.59 (2), except that payments may
22not be made after the fiscal year 2026-27.
AB338,7,2 23(3) In the fiscal year in which a final installment payment of not more than
24$10,000,000 is due, from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ta), the department

1shall set aside an amount that shall be obligated only to make the final payment to
2acquire land from the board of commissioners of public lands under s. 24.59 (1).
AB338,7,5 3(4) In the fiscal year described in sub. (3), the department shall make an
4installment payment equal to the amount remaining to make the final payment to
5acquire land from the board of commissioners of public lands under s. 24.59 (1).
AB338,7,12 6(5) If the department acquires land under sub. (1m), the department shall, as
7soon as practicable, notify all counties from which the department has received
8notification of a resolution adopted under s. 59.52 (6) (f). Beginning on the date that
9a county receives this notice from the department, the department shall allow the
10county to conduct all activities under s. 28.12 necessary to manage, maintain, and
11improve the land described in the county's resolution under s. 59.52 (6) (f) until the
12county board adopts a resolution under s. 28.12 (7).
AB338,11 13Section 11. 24.01 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,7,1814 24.01 (1) “Agricultural college lands" embraces all lands granted to the state
15by an act of congress entitled “An act donating public lands to the several states and
16territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic
17arts," approved July 2, 1862, as well as any land received under s. 24.09 (1) (bm) (3)
18in exchange for such land.
AB338,12 19Section 12. 24.01 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,7,2220 24.01 (4) “Marathon County lands" embraces all lands acquired by the state
21pursuant to chapter 22 of the general laws of 1867, as well as any land received under
22s. 24.09 (1) (bm) (3) in exchange for such land.
AB338,13 23Section 13. 24.01 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,8,324 24.01 (5) “Normal school lands" embraces all parcels of said “swamp lands"
25which the legislature has declared or otherwise decided, or may hereafter declare or

1otherwise decide, were not or are not needed for the drainage or reclamation of the
2same or other lands, as well as any land received under s. 24.09 (1) (bm) (3) in
3exchange for such land.
AB338,14 4Section 14. 24.01 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,8,75 24.01 (7) “School lands" embraces all lands made a part of “the school fund" by
6article X, section 2, of the constitution, as well as any land received under s. 24.09
7(1) (bm) (3) in exchange for such land.
AB338,15 8Section 15. 24.01 (9) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,8,159 24.01 (9) “Swamp lands" embraces all lands which have been or may be
10transferred to the state pursuant to an act of congress entitled “An act to enable the
11state of Arkansas and other states to reclaim the swamp lands within their limits,"
12approved September 28, 1850, or pursuant to an act of congress entitled “ An act for
13the relief of purchasers and locators of swamp and overflowed lands," approved
14March 2, 1855, as well as any land received under s. 24.09 (1) (bm) (3) in exchange
15for such land.
AB338,16 16Section 16. 24.01 (10) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,8,1917 24.01 (10) “University lands" embraces all lands the proceeds of which are
18denominated “the university fund" by article X, section 6, of the constitution, as well
19as any land received under s. 24.09 (1) (bm) (3) in exchange for such land.
AB338,17 20Section 17. 24.09 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,8,21 2124.09 (title) Procedure before sale or exchange; withdrawal; resale.
AB338,18 22Section 18. 24.09 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 24.09 (1) and amended
23to read:
AB338,9,224 24.09 (1) Except as provided under par. (c) sub. (4), the board may not sell or
25exchange any public lands which were not appraised or appraised under s. 24.08.

1Except as provided under pars. (b), (bm) and (c) subs. (2m), (3), and (4), the board may
2not sell or exchange any public lands except at public auction or by sealed bid.
AB338,19 3Section 19. 24.09 (1) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 24.09 (2m).
AB338,20 4Section 20. 24.09 (1) (bm) of the statutes is renumbered 24.09 (3) and amended
5to read:
AB338,9,156 24.09 (3) The board may exchange part or all of any parcel of public lands for
7any other land of approximately equal value if the board determines that the
8exchange will contribute to the consolidation or completion of a block of land,
9enhance conservation of lands or otherwise be in the public interest. Under this
10paragraph subsection, an exchange is of “approximately equal value" if the difference
11in value between the more highly valued land and the less highly valued land does
12not exceed 10 percent of the value of the more highly valued land. All expenses
13necessarily incurred in making an exchange under this paragraph subsection shall
14be deducted from the gross receipts of the fund to which the proceeds of the sale of
15the exchanged land will be added.
AB338,21 16Section 21. 24.09 (1) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 24.09 (4).
AB338,22 17Section 22. 24.09 (1) (d) of the statutes is renumbered 24.09 (5) and amended
18to read:
AB338,9,2319 24.09 (5) All sales other than sales under par. (b) or (c) sub. (2m) or (4) shall
20be made at the times and public places by sealed bid or public sale as the board
21designates. Prior to any sale, the board shall publish a class 3 notice, under ch. 985,
22specifying the time and place and describing the lands to be sold in a newspaper
23published in the county where the lands are situated.
AB338,23 24Section 23. 24.09 (2) of the statutes is repealed.
AB338,24 25Section 24. 24.10 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,10,12
124.10 (1) If the sale is to be by public auction, at the time and place specified
2in the notice under s. 24.09 (1) (d) (5), the board shall commence the sale of the lands
3described in the notice and thereafter continue the same from day to day, Sundays
4excepted, between 9 a.m. and the setting of the sun, until all lands described in the
5notice have been offered. The order of the sale shall be to begin at the lowest number
6of the sections, townships, and ranges in each county and proceed regularly to the
7highest, until all then to be sold are offered for sale. Except for lands withheld from
8sale under s. 24.09 (2), each
Each lot, tract of lands, or collection of tracts of lands to
9be sold shall be offered at the minimum price fixed by law and shall be cried at public
10auction long enough to enable every one present to bid. If the minimum price or more
11is bid, the lot or tract shall be struck off to the highest bidder, but if the minimum
12price is not bid the tract shall be set down unsold.
AB338,25 13Section 25. 24.10 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,10,1914 24.10 (2) If the sale is to be by sealed bid, the highest bid for any lot, tract of
15lands, or collection of tracts of lands shall be accepted, unless the highest bid is below
16the minimum price fixed by law. If the highest bid is below the minimum price fixed
17by law, then all bids may be rejected. If all bids are rejected or if no bid is received,
18the board may readvertise the sale, or adjourn the sale to a definite date, or withhold
19the lands from sale pursuant to s. 24.09 (2)
.
AB338,26 20Section 26. 24.11 (1) (c) of the statutes is repealed.
AB338,27 21Section 27. 24.59 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB338,11,322 24.59 (1) Notwithstanding ss. 24.09, 24.10, 24.15, 24.16, and 24.32, but subject
23to subs. sub. (2) and (3), if the board determines that the sale of all lands under its
24jurisdiction will not breach the board's duty as trustee
, the board may sell to the state
25all
public lands that the board identifies as available for sale to the state under its

1jurisdiction on the effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date]
.
2Notwithstanding s. 24.08 (4), the public lands shall be sold at the appraised value
3determined under sub. (2).
AB338,28 4Section 28. 24.59 (3) of the statutes is repealed.
AB338,29 5Section 29. 24.605 of the statutes is repealed.
AB338,30 6Section 30. 24.61 (2) (cm) of the statutes is repealed.
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