AB735: Bill Text

LRB-3444/2

MGG:wlj:rs

2007 - 2008 LEGISLATURE

2007 Assembly BILL 735

January 29, 2008 - Introduced by Representatives Friske, Mursau, Bies, Townsend and Musser, cosponsored by Senators Breske and Hansen. Referred to Committee on Forestry.

AB735,2,7 An Act to repeal 77.82 (2) (i), 77.82 (2m) (a) 2. and 77.82 (7) (c) 2.; to renumber 77.82 (2m) (a) 1.; to renumber and amend 77.82 (2m) (e) and 77.82 (3) (a); to amend 20.370 (1) (cx), 26.09 (1b) (j), 77.06 (5), 77.82 (title), 77.82 (1) (bn), 77.82 (1) (c), 77.82 (2) (intro.), 77.82 (2) (cm), 77.82 (2) (e), 77.82 (2) (e), 77.82 (2) (f), 77.82 (2) (i), 77.82 (2m) (title), 77.82 (2m) (a) 1., 77.82 (2m) (a) 2., 77.82 (2m) (am), 77.82 (2m) (c), 77.82 (2m) (d), 77.82 (2m) (dm) 1., 77.82 (2m) (e), 77.82 (3) (a), 77.82 (3) (c) (intro.), 77.82 (3) (g), 77.82 (4), 77.82 (4g) (a), 77.82 (4g) (b), 77.82 (4m) (a), 77.82 (4m) (b), 77.82 (4m) (d), 77.82 (5) (title), 77.82 (5) (a), 77.82 (5) (b), 77.82 (6) (a), 77.82 (6) (b) 2., 77.82 (7) (a) (intro.), 77.82 (7) (a) 2., 77.82 (7) (b) (intro.), 77.82 (7) (b) 1., 77.82 (7) (c) 1., 77.82 (7) (c) 3., 77.82 (7) (d), 77.82 (8), 77.82 (10), 77.82 (11), 77.82 (11g), 77.82 (12), 77.86 (1) (c), 77.86 (1) (d), 77.87 (1g) (a), 77.87 (1g) (d), 77.87 (3), 77.88 (2) (b), 77.88 (2) (d) 1., 77.88 (2) (e), 77.88 (4), 77.88 (5) (ab) 1., 77.88 (5) (am) (intro.), 77.88 (6), 77.90, 77.91 (1) and 170.12 (5); to repeal and recreate 77.82 (3) (f); and to create 77.125, 77.82 (2) (dm), 77.82 (2m) (ac), 77.82 (3) (am) and 77.88 (5g) of the statutes; relating to: petitions and management plans for the designation of managed forest land, transferrals of ownership of managed forest land, establishing stumpage values and estimating withdrawal taxes under the managed forest land program, signatures and authentication requirements for orders under the forest croplands program, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) administers the managed forest land (MFL) program and a similar program called the forest croplands program. The MFL program exempts an owner of land that is designated MFL from payment of municipal property taxes on the land in exchange for a lower payment per acre. In exchange, the owner must comply with certain forestry practices and must allow the public on the land under certain circumstances unless the landowner elects to pay an extra amount per acre to keep a limited number of acres closed. In addition, an owner of MFL must pay a withdrawal tax when the owner withdraws the land from the program before the order designating the land as MFL expires. Orders are for 25 or 50 years. This bill makes various changes to the MFL program, including the following:

1. The bill makes a terminology change by substituting the words "applicant" and "application" for "petitioner" and "petition" in the subchapter related to the MFL program. This change is nonsubstantive.

2. The bill changes the dates before which DNR must act on applications under the MFL program and changes the deadline for owners to file applications to renew MFL orders.

3. The bill requires that a forestry management plan for the MFL accompany the application and eliminates the requirement that DNR prepare the plan upon the request of the applying landowner. Under the bill, DNR must prepare the plan only if DNR determines that the applicant is not able to have a proposed management plan prepared by a certified independent plan writer. The bill requires DNR to promulgate rules establishing the criteria for when DNR will prepare the plan.

4. The bill requires DNR to prepare an estimate of the withdrawal tax that would be due if the MFL is withdrawn upon request of DNR or an MFL landowner. Under the bill, the Department of Revenue assists with the preparation of these estimates.

5. The bill eliminates the requirement that the stumpage value that is used to determine the amount of yield taxes and withdrawal taxes under the MFL program be established by rule.

6. The bill clarifies that when MFL is transferred to another owner, the person purchasing or otherwise receiving the land pays the transfer fee.

7. The bill allows facsimile signatures and exempts documents from register of deeds authentication requirements under the forest croplands program. These provisions exist for the MFL program under current law.

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:

AB735, s. 1 Section 1. 20.370 (1) (cx) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB735,3,5 20.370 (1) (cx) Forestry — management plans. All moneys as calculated received under s. 77.82 (2m) (dm) 1. (ag) for payment for management plans prepared or completed by plan writers who are under contract with the department under s. 77.82 (3).

AB735, s. 2 Section 2. 26.09 (1b) (j) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB735,3,9 26.09 (1b) (j) "Stumpage value" means the applicable stumpage rate value established by rule under s. 77.91 (1) or the fair market value of raw forest products less the cost of their harvesting, whichever is greater.

AB735, s. 3 Section 3. 77.06 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB735,4,3 77.06 (5) Tax levy on right to cut timber. The department of natural resources shall assess and levy against the owner a severance tax on the right to cut and remove wood products covered by reports under this section, at the rate of 10% of the value of the wood products based upon the stumpage value then in force established under s. 77.91 (1). Upon making the assessment, the department of natural resources shall mail a duplicate of the certificate by registered mail to the owner who made the report of cutting at the owner's last-known post-office address. The tax assessed is due and payable to the department of natural resources on the last day of the next calendar month after mailing following the date the certificate is mailed to the owner. The proceeds of the tax shall be paid into the forestry account of the conservation fund for distribution under s. 77.07 (3).

AB735, s. 4 Section 4. 77.125 of the statutes is created to read:

AB735,4,8 77.125 Signatures. (1) The signature of an official or an employee of the department of natural resources may be stamped, printed, or otherwise reproduced on an order under ss. 77.01 to 77.14 after the official or employee adopts the stamped, printed, or otherwise reproduced signature as his or her facsimile signature.

AB735,4,11 (2) The signature or the facsimile signature under sub. (1) of an official or an employee of the department of natural resources meets the requirement under s. 706.05 (2) (a).

AB735,4,13 (3) The requirement of s. 706.05 (2) (b) does not apply to orders issued under this subchapter.

AB735, s. 5 Section 5. 77.82 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB735,4,15 77.82 (title) Managed forest land; petition application.

AB735, s. 6 Section 6. 77.82 (1) (bn) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB735,4,21 77.82 (1) (bn) For purposes of par. (b) 3., the department by rule shall define "human residence" to include a residence of the petitioner applicant regardless of whether it is the petitioner's applicant's primary residence. The definition may also include up to one acre surrounding the residence for a residence that is not the petitioner's applicant's primary residence.

AB735, s. 7 Section 7. 77.82 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB735,5,2 77.82 (1) (c) In addition to the requirements under pars. (a) and (b), for land subject to a petition an application under sub. (4m), all forest croplands owned by the petitioner applicant on the date on which the petition application is submitted filed that are located in the municipality or municipalities for which the petition application is submitted filed shall be included in the petition application.

AB735, s. 8 Section 8. 77.82 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB735,5,8 77.82 (2) Petition Application. (intro.) Any owner of land may petition file an application with the department to designate any eligible parcel of land as managed forest land. A petition An application may include any number of eligible parcels under the same ownership. Each petition application shall include all of the following:

AB735, s. 9 Section 9. 77.82 (2) (cm) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB735,5,12 77.82 (2) (cm) A copy of an instrument that has been recorded in the office of the register of deeds of each county in which the property is located that shows the ownership of the land subject to the petition application.

AB735, s. 10 Section 10. 77.82 (2) (dm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB735,5,14 77.82 (2) (dm) A proposed management plan.

AB735, s. 11 Section 11. 77.82 (2) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB735,5,21 77.82 (2) (e) A statement of the owner's forest management objectives for the production of merchantable timber, in sufficient detail to provide direction for the development and approval of a management plan. The petition application may also state additional forest management objectives, which may include wildlife habitat management, aesthetic considerations, watershed management and recreational use.

AB735, s. 12 Section 12 . 77.82 (2) (e) of the statutes, as affected by 2007 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), is amended to read:

AB735,6,4 77.82 (2) (e) A statement of the owner's forest management objectives for the production of merchantable timber, in sufficient detail to provide direction for the development and approval of a the proposed management plan. The application may also state additional forest management objectives, which may include wildlife habitat management, aesthetic considerations, watershed management and recreational use.

AB735, s. 13 Section 13. 77.82 (2) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB735,6,7 77.82 (2) (f) Proof that each person holding any encumbrance on the land agrees to the petition that the application may be filed.

AB735, s. 14 Section 14. 77.82 (2) (i) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB735,6,11 77.82 (2) (i) If a proposed management plan is not submitted filed with the petition application, a request that the department prepare a management plan. The department may decline to prepare the plan.

AB735, s. 15 Section 15. 77.82 (2) (i) of the statutes, as affected by 2007 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), is repealed.

AB735, s. 16 Section 16. 77.82 (2m) (title) of the statutes is amended to read: