Governor: Provide $233,900 in 1999-00 and $248,600 in 2000-01 for adjustments to the base budget for: (a) turnover reduction (-$289,800 GPR and -$109,600 PR annually); (b) removal of noncontinuing items (-$70,000 GPR and -$53,300 FED with -1.0 FED position annually); (c) full funding of salaries and fringe benefits ($715,000 GPR, -$91,300 PR and $61,500 SEG annually); (d) full funding of financial services ($6,100 GPR, $9,200 PR and $3,100 SEG annually); (e) reclassifications ($20,600 GPR and $16,500 SEG in 1999-00 and $27,600 GPR and $24,200 SEG in 2000-01); and (f) fifth vacation week as cash for certain long-term employees ($10,800 GPR, $4,000 PR and $1,100 SEG annually).
2. DRAINAGE BOARD GRANTS
GPR $1,500,000
Governor: Provide $750,000 GPR each year in an annual appropriation for local assistance grants to drainage boards. County drainage boards are responsible for operating drainage districts, which drain land through the use of ditches, tiles, dikes and culverts on public as well as private property. Funding from the appropriation would be limited to 60% of board costs to comply with current drainage district laws and proposed administrative rules, including possibly requiring drainage district map development. DATCP would be required to promulgate rules for the administration of the grants. The bill would allow DATCP to promulgate emergency rules, to last for up to 150 days with extensions totaling no more than 120 days, for the proposed grant program without a finding of emergency.
[Bill Sections: 184, 1877 and 9104(3)]
3. SOIL AND WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT BONDING
BR $3,575,000
Governor: Provide an increase in general obligation bonding authority of $3,575,000 for the soil and water resource management grant program. Funds would provide grants for such activities as regulatory animal waste response projects and agricultural shoreland management projects. $3,000,000 in bonding was provided in the 1997-99 budget, of which $2,397,700 is uncommitted as of March 1, 1999.
[Bill Section: 637]
4. LAND AND WATER RESOURCE ENGINEER STAFF
Positions
GPR 1.00
Governor: Transfer $65,400 GPR in 1999-00 and $80,000 in 2000-01 from DATCP's soil and water resource management grant program appropriation to the program's general operations appropriation for 1.0 engineering position to provide training, consultation and oversight to county conservation staff for an 18-county area in Northern Wisconsin.
5. FARMLAND PRESERVATION MODIFICATIONS AND ACREAGE CREDITS
Governor: Modify the formula used to compute farmland preservation credits, effective with claims filed for tax years beginning after December 31, 2000. Sunset the farmland preservation credit program, with no new credits to be paid for a tax year that begins after December 31, 2002. Further, make numerous modifications to the farmland preservation agreement, exclusive agricultural zoning and soil and water conservation requirements of the farmland preservation program. Create a farmland preservation acreage income tax credit for the sale of development rights that would preserve farmland and green space. The credit would first be available in tax years beginning after December 31, 1998. Allow a claimant to receive both a farmland preservation credit and a farmland preservation acreage credit. Specify that no new claims for the acreage credit could be made for a tax year beginning after December 31, 2002. [See "Shared Revenue -- Property Tax Credits" for information on proposed changes to farmland preservation credits.]
6. LAND AND WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS
Governor: Require the Land and Water Conservation Board (LWCB) to approve or disapprove required county land conservation committee land and water resource management plans after DATCP, in consultation with DNR, reviews, summarizes, and recommends approval or disapproval of the plans. Under current law, the LWCB reviews each plan and DATCP either approves or disapproves of the plan.
The bill would also change the requirements for land and water resource management plans to do at least all of the following:
a. Assess water quality throughout the county;
b. Specify water quality goals and identify the areas that may not be meeting those goals;
c. Identify applicable performance standards and prohibitions related to the control of nonpoint pollution;
d. Assess soil erosion conditions throughout the county;
e. Specify soil erosion control goals and identify the areas that may not be meeting those goals;
f. Identify applicable performance standards and prohibitions related to soil erosion control;
g. Include a multiyear description of planned county activities related to land and water resources and prioritize those activities. The description must include activities designed to meet water quality and soil erosion control goals and ensure compliance with performance standards and prohibitions related to nonpoint pollution and soil erosion control;
h. Describe a system to monitor plan activities;
i. Include a strategy to provide soil and water resource management information and education; and
j. Describe methods for coordinating plan activities with other local, state and federal agencies.
Under the bill, current land and water resource management plans would still be valid, but all new or modified plans would follow the new requirements. Under current law, land and water resource management plans must do all of the following:
a. Specify maximum acceptable rates of soil erosion;
b. Identify areas where soil erosion standards are not being met;
c. Identify land use changes or management practices to bring each area of land into compliance with standards adopted by the land conservation committee;
d. Specify procedures to assist landowners and land users in controlling soil erosion;
e. Establish priorities for controlling soil erosion;
f. Identify causes, other than soil erosion, of nonpoint source water pollution; and
g. Describe all proposed county activities related to nonpoint source water pollution.
[Bill Sections: 1909 and 1911 thru 1913]
7. AGRICHEMICAL MANAGEMENT FEES
SEG-REV - $1,202,500
Governor: Reduce certain agrichemical management (ACM) fund fees for a two-year period and permanently reduce fertilizer and feed tonnage fees. The proposed fee change would result in a loss of approximately $2.4 million in fee revenues including a loss of $1.2 million in both 2000-01 and 2001-02 . The reductions would primarily be a two-year continuation of temporary fee reductions made in the 1997-99 budget, which will decrease fee revenues by $1.1 million in both 1998-99 and 1999-00. However, in addition, fertilizer and feed tonnage fees deposited to the ACM fund would be permanently reduced by 2¢ per ton for tonnage sold after the effective date of the bill (a reduction of $86,000 annually). The two cent fee would continue to be paid by fertilizer and feed dealers under the bill, but would be credited to the weights and measure program rather than the ACM fund. The ACM fund had a balance of $7.4 million at the end of 1997-98. The proposed ACM fund fees would be as follows:
Estimated
Current Estimated Governor Permanent
Agrichemical Governor Two-Year Permanent Annual
Management Fee Revenue Fee Revenue
Fee Category Fund Fee Reduction Reduction Reduction Reduction
Fertilizer Tonnage (per ton) $0.32 -$0.09 -$254,400 -$0.02 -$28,300
Feed Tonnage (per ton) 0.25 -0.12 -689,300 -0.02 -57,400
Individual Pest Applicator License 40 -10.00 -115,100
Household Pesticide Registration
$0-25,000 sales 141 -50.00 -510,900
$25,000-75,000 sales 626 -100.00 -49,400
>$75,000 sales 1,376 -300.00 -112,200
Industrial Pesticide Registration
$0-25,000 sales 221 -50.00 -69,800
$25,000-75,000 sales 766 -100.00 -13,800
>$75,000 sales 2,966 -300.00 -51,000
Nonhousehold Pesticide Registration
$0-25,000 sales 226 -50.00 -347,700
$25,000-75,000 sales 796 -100.00 -46,200
>$75,000 sales 2,966 + 0.2% of sales -300.00 -145,200
TOTALS -$2,405,000 -$85,700
[Bill Sections: 712, 1937 and 1940 thru 1944]
8. AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL CLEANUP PROGRAM
GPR-REV $1,000,000
SEG-REV - $1,000,000
GPR - $1,521,300
Governor: Reduce GPR funding for the cleanup of agrichemical spills by $1,171,300 in 1999-00 and $350,000 in 2000-2001. This amount includes $171,300 annually to make permanent the amount the Department was required to lapse under 1997 Act 27. In 1997-98, $1.5 million was spent for cleanups. Under the bill, $2,917,300 in 1999-00 and $3,738,600 in 2000-01 would be appropriated for agricultural chemical cleanup program (ACCP) grants (from GPR and SEG).
Further, transfer $500,000 from the ACCP fund to the general fund in each year of the 1999-01 biennium only. The ACCP fund receives revenues from industry fertilizer and pesticide license and tonnage surcharges. The ACCP fund, which also provides funding for the cleanup of agrichemical spills, had a closing balance of $11.5 million in 1997-98.
[Bill Section: 9204(2)]
9. PESTICIDE DATABASE STUDY
GPR $35,000
Governor: Provide $35,000 in 1999-00 in onetime funding for a pesticide database feasibility study. Funding would be used for a study on the feasibility of creating a database that records the level of outdoor pesticide use by farmers, other businesses, government and homeowners in the state.
10. EXPORT MARKETING
Funding Positions
GPR $600,000 2.00
PR 50,000 0.00
Total $650,000 2.00
Governor: Provide $300,000 GPR and 2.0 export consultant positions and $25,000 PR each year to restructure and expand the marketing division’s export promotion program. The Department currently has five export consultants. Of the amounts appropriated, $507,600 in the biennium would be used for supplies and services. Increased supplies funding would be used for educational materials, export publications, trade missions and a PR match for an agricultural export and statistical directory. PR and matching GPR would be used to collect data and then publish the export directory. Program revenues would come from industry contributions.
11. FEDERAL DAIRY POLICY REFORM
GPR $100,000
Governor: Provide $50,000 each year in a biennial appropriation to provide assistance to organizations to seek federal dairy price reform. Repeal the appropriation on July 1, 2001. This provision extends funding that was authorized in the 1997-99 budget for two more years.
