4. An address to which any comments shall be submitted.
(d) 1. The department shall establish under the mitigation program mitigation ratios that are consistent, to the greatest extent possible, with the federal regulations that apply to mitigation and mitigation banks but, unless subd. 2. applies, the minimum ratio shall be at least 1.2 acres for each acre affected by the discharge.
2. For mitigation that occurs within the same watershed in which the discharge is located or within one-half mile of the site of the discharge, the ratio established by the department shall equal 90 percent of the ratio that would apply if the mitigation were to occur outside the watershed or were to occur one-half mile or more from the site of the discharge, but the ratio established under this subdivision may be no less than 1.2 acres for each acre affected by the discharge.
(e) As part of the mitigation program established under par. (a), the department may establish an in lieu fee subprogram, in consultation with the army corps of engineers, under which payments are made to the department or another entity for the purposes of restoring, enhancing, creating, or preserving wetlands or other water resource features. The department shall establish requirements for calculating the in lieu fee payments. Under the in lieu fee subprogram, the wetlands that benefit from the program shall be open to the public for hunting, fishing, trapping, cross-country skiing, or hiking or any combination thereof, but the department may establish reasonable restrictions on the use of the land by the public in order to protect public safety or to protect a unique plant or animal community. The subprogram shall be consistent with federal regulations.
118,88
Section
88. 281.36 (4) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (4) Exemptions. (intro.) Except as provided in sub. (5), the certification permitting requirement under sub. (2) (3b) does not apply to any discharge that is the result of any of the following activities:
118,89
Section
89. 281.36 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (4) (b) Maintenance, emergency repair, or reconstruction of damaged parts of structures that are in use in a nonfederal wetland.
118,90
Section
90. 281.36 (4) (e) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (4) (e) 1. That the flow and circulation patterns and chemical and biological characteristics of the affected nonfederal wetland are not impaired.
118,91
Section
91. 281.36 (4) (e) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (4) (e) 2. That the reach of the affected nonfederal wetland is not reduced.
118,92
Section
92. 281.36 (4) (e) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (4) (e) 3. That any adverse effect on the aquatic environment of the affected nonfederal wetland is minimized to the degree required by the department.
118,93
Section
93. 281.36 (5) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (5) Inapplicability of exemptions. (intro.) Notwithstanding sub. (4), a discharge that would be exempt under sub. (4) is subject to the certification
permitting requirement under sub. (2) (3b) if the discharge is incidental to an activity that has as its purpose bringing a nonfederal wetland, or part of a nonfederal wetland, into a use for which it was not previously subject and if the activity may do any of the following:
118,94
Section
94. 281.36 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (5) (a) Impair the flow or circulation of any nonfederal wetland.
118,95
Section
95. 281.36 (5) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (5) (b) Reduce the reach of any nonfederal wetland.
118,96
Section
96. 281.36 (6) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (6) (a) 1. Make the rules consistent with existing federal law or interpretation.
118,97
Section
97. 281.36 (7) of the statutes is repealed.
118,98
Section
98. 281.36 (8) (title) of the statutes is repealed.
118,99
Section
99. 281.36 (8) (a) of the statutes is repealed.
118,100
Section
100. 281.36 (8) (b) of the statutes is repealed.
118,101
Section
101. 281.36 (8) (bn) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 281.36 (3g) (b) and amended to read:
281.36
(3g) (b)
Additional required permits. The In addition to the wetland general permits required under par. (a), the department shall issue
wetland general
water quality certifications permits that are consistent with
all of the, and correspond to, any general permits
that are issued under
33 USC 1344 (e)
that applied on January 8, 2001, to nonfederal wetlands located in this state and that regulate discharges other than those regulated under the required wetland general permits issued under par. (a).
118,102
Section
102. 281.36 (8) (bn) 2. of the statutes is repealed.
118,103
Section
103. 281.36 (8) (c) of the statutes is repealed.
118,104
Section
104. 281.36 (8) (d) of the statutes is repealed.
118,105
Section
105. 281.36 (8) (e) of the statutes is repealed.
118,106
Section
106. 281.36 (9) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (9) (a) (intro.) For purposes of determining whether to issue a wetland individual permit, whether authorization to proceed as authorized under a wetland general permit is appropriate, or whether an exemption under sub. (4) is appropriate, and for purposes of enforcing this section, any employee or other representative of the department, upon presenting his or her credentials, may do any of the following:
118,107
Section
107. 281.36 (9) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (9) (a) 1. Enter and inspect any property on which is located a nonfederal wetland, or part of a nonfederal wetland, for which an application for a water quality certification has been submitted to the department under sub. (3g) or (3m).
118,108
Section
108. 281.36 (9) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (9) (a) 2. Enter and inspect any property on which is located a nonfederal wetland to investigate a discharge of dredged or fill material that the department has reason to believe is in violation of this section.
118,109
Section
109. 281.36 (9) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
281.36 (9) (a) 3. Gain access to and inspect any records that the department requires a holder of a water quality certification to wetland individual permit or a person acting under the authority of a wetland general permit is required by the department to keep.
118,110
Section
110. 281.36 (9) (am) to (c) of the statutes are repealed.
118,111
Section
111. 281.36 (9) (d) and (e) of the statutes are created to read:
281.36 (9) (d) The department shall provide reasonable advance notice to the property owner before entering and inspecting property as authorized under par (a).
(e) If the owner of the property refuses to give consent for the entry and inspection, the department may do any of the following:
1. Apply for, obtain, and execute a special inspection warrant under s. 66.0119.
2. Deny an application for a wetland individual permit or deny authorization to proceed under a wetland general permit.
118,112
Section
112. 281.36 (10) (intro.) and (a) of the statutes are consolidated, renumbered 281.36 (10) and amended to read:
281.36 (10) Other Additional requirements. The requirement of being issued a wetland individual permit or proceeding under the authority of a wetland general permit under this section is in addition to any permit or other approval required by the department for a project or activity that involves a discharge into a wetland. This section governs the determination of whether a discharge is in compliance with water quality standards but does not affect the authority of the department to do any of the following: (a) Regulate otherwise regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material in a nonfederal wetland under ss. 59.692, 61.351, 62.231, 87.30, 281.11 to 281.35, 281.41 to 281.47, or 281.49 to 281.85 or ch. 30, 31, 283, 289, 291, 292, 293, 295, or 299.
118,113
Section
113. 281.36 (10) (b) of the statutes is repealed.
118,114
Section
114. 281.36 (11) of the statutes is created to read:
281.36 (11) Restoration; surcharge fee. (a) The department shall set a surcharge fee to be charged for each application to proceed under a wetland general permit that is issued under sub. (3g) (a) 4., 5., or 6. The surcharge fee shall be set on an annual basis by the department and may not exceed more than 50 percent of the market price, as determined by the department, for the equivalent purchase of credits from a mitigation bank. These fees shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (4) (bm) for the restoration and creation of wetlands. The department may enter into agreements with other entities for the restoration and creation of such wetlands.
(b) Any wetland that is restored or created using funding from the appropriation under s. 20.370 (4) (bm) shall be open to the public for hunting, fishing, trapping, cross-country skiing, or hiking or any combination thereof, but the department may establish reasonable restrictions on the use of the land by the public in order to protect public safety or to protect a unique plant or animal community.
118,115
Section
115. 281.36 (12) (a) of the statutes is created to read:
281.36 (12) (a) Fees required. The department shall charge a fee for reviewing, investigating, and making decisions on applications to proceed under wetland general permits under sub. (3g) and on applications for wetland individual permits under sub. (3m). For an authorization to proceed under a wetland general permit, the application fee shall be $500. For a wetland individual permit, the application fee shall be $800.
118,116
Section
116. 281.36 (12) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
281.36 (12) (b) Additional fee. The department may set and charge a fee in the amount necessary to meet the costs incurred by the department in reviewing mitigation that is conducted by mitigation banks.
118,117
Section
117. 281.36 (13) of the statutes is created to read:
281.36 (13) Parties to a violation. (a) Whoever is concerned in the commission of a violation of this section for which a forfeiture is imposed is a principal and may be charged and found in violation although he or she did not directly commit the violation and although the person who directly committed it has not been found in violation.
(b) A person is concerned in the commission of the violation if the person does any of the following:
1. Directly commits the violation.
2. Aids and abets the commission of the violation.
3. Is a party to a conspiracy with another to commit the violation or advises, hires, counsels, or otherwise procures any person to commit it.
118,118
Section
118. 281.36 (14) of the statutes is created to read:
281.36 (14) Penalties. (a) Except as provided in par. (b), any person who violates any provision of this section shall forfeit not less than $100 nor more than $10,000 for the first offense and shall forfeit not less than $500 nor more than $10,000 upon being found in violation of the same offense a 2nd or subsequent time.
(b) Any person who violates a wetland general permit issued under sub. (3g) shall forfeit not less than $10 nor more than $500 for the first offense and shall forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $500 upon being found in violation of the same offense a 2nd or subsequent time.
(c) A violation of any condition contained in a wetland general permit issued under sub. (3g) is a violation of the statute under which the general permit was issued.
(d) In addition to the forfeitures specified under pars. (a) and (b), a court may order a defendant to abate any nuisance, restore a natural resource, or take, or refrain from taking, any other action as necessary to eliminate or minimize any environmental damage caused by the defendant.
118,119
Section
119. 281.37 (title) of the statutes is repealed.
118,120
Section
120. 281.37 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is repealed.
118,121
Section
121. 281.37 (1) (a) of the statutes is repealed.
118,122
Section
122. 281.37 (1) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 281.36 (1) (bn) and amended to read:
281.36 (1) (bn) "Mitigation project" means the restoration, enhancement or creation of wetlands to compensate for adverse impacts to other wetlands. "Mitigation project" includes using credits from a wetlands mitigation bank mitigation of the type specified in sub. (3r) (a) 3.
118,123
Section
123. 281.37 (1) (d) of the statutes is renumbered 281.36 (1) (bL) and amended to read:
281.36 (1) (bL) "Wetlands mitigation Mitigation bank" means a system of accounting for wetland loss and compensation that includes one or more sites where wetlands are restored, enhanced or, created
, or preserved to provide transferable credits to be subsequently applied or purchased in order to compensate for adverse impacts to other wetlands.
118,124
Section
124. 281.37 (1) (e) of the statutes is repealed.
118,125
Section
125. 281.37 (1) (f) of the statutes is repealed.
118,126
Section
126. 281.37 (2) of the statutes is repealed.
118,127
Section
127. 281.37 (2m) of the statutes is renumbered 281.36 (8m), and 281.36 (8m) (a) 1. and 2. and (b) (intro.) and 2., as renumbered, are amended to read:
281.36 (8m) (a) 1. A person who is the holder of a wetland individual permit or other approval that authorizes a mitigation project shall grant a conservation easement under s. 700.40 to the department or shall execute a comparable legal instrument to ensure that a wetland that is being restored, enhanced, or created, or preserved will not be destroyed or substantially degraded by any subsequent proprietor of or holder of interest in the property on which the wetland is located. The department shall revoke the wetland individual permit or other approval if the holder of the individual permit
or other approval fails to take these measures.
2. A person who is restoring, enhancing, or creating
, or preserving a wetland to provide transferable credits as part of a wetlands mitigation bank shall grant a conservation easement under s. 700.40 to the department,
or shall execute a comparable legal instrument to ensure that the wetland will not be destroyed or substantially degraded by any subsequent proprietor of or holder of interest in the property on which the wetland is located.
(b) (intro.) Notwithstanding par. (a), the department shall modify or release a conservation easement granted under par. (a), or shall void a comparable legal instrument executed under par. (a) if all of the following apply:
2. The person who is required to grant the conservation easement or execute the legal instrument did not contribute to the loss of the wetland specified in subd. 1.
118,128
Section
128. 281.37 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 281.36 (3t) (intro.) and amended to read:
281.36 (3t) Rules for mitigation. (intro.) The department shall promulgate rules to establish a process for consideration of wetland compensatory mitigation under sub. (2). Upon promulgation, the rules shall apply to any application or other request for an initial determination for a permit or other authorization that is pending with the department on the date on which the rules take effect the mitigation program under sub. (3r). The rules shall address all of the following:
118,129
Section
129. 281.37 (3) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 281.36 (3t) (a) and amended to read:
281.36 (3t) (a) Requirements for the avoidance and minimization of adverse impacts to the wetland that will be affected by the permitted activity analysis of practicable alternatives that is included in an application for a wetland individual permit under sub. (3m) (b).
118,130
Section
130. 281.37 (3) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 281.36 (3t) (b) and amended to read:
281.36 (3t) (b) The conditions under which credits in a wetlands mitigation bank may be used for wetland compensatory mitigation purchased from a mitigation bank to comply with the mitigation program under sub. (3r).
118,131
Section
131. 281.37 (3) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 281.36 (3t) (c) and amended to read: