AB612: Bill Text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE

LRB-3507/1

EHS:skw

2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 612

October 31, 2025 - Introduced by Representative Kurtz, cosponsored by Senator Testin. Referred to Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation.

AB612,1,7 An Act to renumber and amend 20.370 (5) (hq); to amend 18.08 (1) (a) (intro.), 20.370 (5) (hr), 20.370 (7) (aa), 20.866 (2) (ta), 23.09 (19) (cg), 23.09 (20) (am), 23.09 (20m) (b), 23.0953 (2) (b), 23.098 (2), 30.277 (1m) and 30.277 (2) (c); to create 20.370 (5) (hs), 20.370 (5) (ht), 20.370 (5) (hu), 20.370 (5) (hv), 20.370 (7) (ae), 20.370 (7) (fd), 20.866 (2) (tj) and 23.09175 (2m) of the statutes; relating to: the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship 2000 program, a major land acquisitions program, and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill reauthorizes the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship 2000 Program until 2030, makes certain changes to the funding of stewardship programs, and funds a major land acquisitions program.

Reauthorization and changes to the stewardship program

Current law authorizes the state to incur public debt for certain conservation activities under the stewardship program, which is administered by the Department of Natural Resources. The state may incur this debt to acquire land for the state for conservation purposes and for property development activities and may award grants or state aid to certain local governmental units and nonprofit conservation organizations (NCOs) to acquire and develop land for these purposes. Current law establishes the amounts that DNR may obligate in each fiscal year through fiscal year 2025-26 for expenditure under each of five subprograms of the stewardship program.

The bill reauthorizes the stewardship program until fiscal year 2029-30 and reduces by $20,000,000 the amount that may be obligated under the program in each fiscal year beginning in fiscal year 2026-27, to $13,250,000. The bill reduces the amounts DNR may obligate in each fiscal year through fiscal year 2029-30 from $16,000,000 to $3,000,000 under the land acquisition subprogram and from $14,250,000 to $7,250,000 under the property development and local assistance subprogram. The recreational boating aids subprogram obligation limit remains the same at $3,000,000 under the bill.

Moneys obligated under the stewardship program are appropriated from the capital improvement fund (CIF) and stewardship bond proceeds are deposited into CIF. Current law provides that, in obligating moneys under the subprogram for land acquisition, DNR must set aside certain amounts to be obligated only for DNR to acquire land and to provide grants to counties for land acquisition (county forest grants). Specifically, the set-aside for DNR land acquisition each fiscal year is $1,000,000 plus the amount transferred to CIF under an appropriation that transfers from moneys received into the conservation fund for forestry activities (the forestry account) to CIF $5,000,000 in each fiscal year. The set-aside for county forest grants is equal to the amount transferred to CIF under an appropriation that transfers from the forestry account to CIF $3,000,000 in each fiscal year. Beginning in fiscal year 2026-27, the bill ends these annual transfers from the forestry account to CIF and replaces the corresponding set-aside requirements under the land acquisition subprogram with appropriations that directly fund those purposes from the conservation fund, not the stewardship program. The bill appropriates a smaller amount for each purpose: $3,000,000 each fiscal year from the conservation fund for DNR land acquisitions and $1,000,000 each fiscal year from the forestry account for county forest grants.

The bill also creates new appropriations from the forestry account to add funding for three programs currently funded only under the stewardship program. Specifically, beginning in fiscal year 2026-27, the bill appropriates from the forestry account to DNR $5,000,000 for DNR property development and $2,000,000 for local assistance grants and, for grants to NCOs, $4,000,000 to acquire and develop property for certain conservation purposes and $1,000,000 for habitat restoration.

The bill creates an appropriation from moneys that DNR receives from NCOs and governmental units as reimbursement from the proceeds of a property sale for any stewardship grant received to acquire that property, to be used for the payment of principal on outstanding public debt incurred under the stewardship program.

Major land acquisitions program

The bill creates both a GPR appropriation and an appropriation authorizing the state to contract public debt, both for the purpose of funding a major land acquisitions program.

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:

AB612,1 Section 1. 18.08 (1) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB612,2,7 18.08 (1) (a) (intro.) All moneys resulting from the contracting of public debt or any payment to be received with respect to any agreement or ancillary arrangement entered into under s. 18.06 (8) (a) with respect to any such public debt and any moneys transferred under s. 20.370 (5) (hq) or (hr) shall be credited to a separate and distinct fund, established in the state treasury, designated as the capital improvement fund, except that:

AB612,2 Section 2. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:

- See PDF for table

AB612,3 Section 3. 20.370 (5) (hq) of the statutes is renumbered 20.370 (7) (hs) and amended to read:

AB612,3,11 20.370 (7) (hs) Department land acquisition — conservation fund. From Biennially, from the conservation fund, from the moneys received by the department for forestry activities, the amounts in the schedule for transfer to the capital improvement fund the purposes specified in s. 23.09 (2) (d), excluding major land acquisitions under s. 23.09175.

AB612,4 Section 4. 20.370 (5) (hr) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB612,3,15 20.370 (5) (hr) County forest grants. From the moneys received by the department for forestry activities, the amounts in the schedule for transfer to the capital improvement fund grants to counties under s. 23.0953.

AB612,5 Section 5. 20.370 (5) (hs) of the statutes is created to read:

AB612,3,19 20.370 (5) (hs) Department property development. From the moneys received by the department for forestry activities, the amounts in the schedule for the purposes under s. 23.0917 (4) (c).

AB612,6 Section 6. 20.370 (5) (ht) of the statutes is created to read:

AB612,4,2 20.370 (5) (ht) Nonprofit conservation organization grants — land acquisition. From the moneys received by the department for forestry activities, the amounts in the schedule for grants to nonprofit conservation organizations for the purpose under s. 23.096 (2) (a) 2.

AB612,7 Section 7. 20.370 (5) (hu) of the statutes is created to read:

AB612,4,7 20.370 (5) (hu) Nonprofit conservation organization grants — habitat restoration. From the moneys received by the department for forestry activities, the amounts in the schedule for grants to nonprofit conservation organizations for the purpose under s. 23.096 (2) (a) 1.

AB612,8 Section 8. 20.370 (5) (hv) of the statutes is created to read:

AB612,4,11 20.370 (5) (hv) Local assistance grants. From the moneys received by the department for forestry activities, the amounts in the schedule for local assistance grants under ss. 23.09 (19), (20), and (20m) and 30.277.

AB612,9 Section 9. 20.370 (7) (aa) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB612,5,5 20.370 (7) (aa) Resource acquisition and development — principal repayment and interest. A sum sufficient to reimburse s. 20.866 (1) (u) for the payment of principal and interest costs incurred in financing the placement of structures and fill under s. 30.203, in financing the acquisition, construction, development, enlargement, or improvement of state recreation facilities under s. 20.866 (2) (tp) and (tr), in financing state aids for land acquisition and development of local parks under s. 20.866 (2) (tq), in financing land acquisition activities under s. 20.866 (2) (ts) and (tt), in financing the aid program for dams under s. 20.866 (2) (tx), in financing ice age trail development under s. 20.866 (2) (tw), in financing the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship program under s. 20.866 (2) (tz) and in financing the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship 2000 program under s. 20.866 (2) (ta), in financing the major land acquisitions program under s. 20.866 (2) (tj), and to make payments under an agreement or ancillary arrangement entered into under s. 18.06 (8) (a). Payments may not be made from this appropriation account for principal and interest costs incurred in financing land acquisition and development of state forests under ss. 20.866 (2) (ta) and (tz) until all moneys available under par. (au) have been expended.

AB612,10 Section 10. 20.370 (7) (ae) of the statutes is created to read:

AB612,5,12 20.370 (7) (ae) Grant reimbursement - principal repayment. All moneys received from nonprofit conservation organizations and governmental units under s. 23.09 (18r) (b) 5. to reimburse s. 20.866 (1) (u) for the payment of principal on outstanding public debt incurred under the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship 2000 program under s. 23.0917 and to make payments under an agreement or ancillary arrangement entered into under s. 18.06 (8) (a).

AB612,11 Section 11. 20.370 (7) (fd) of the statutes is created to read:

AB612,5,16 20.370 (7) (fd) Resource acquisition and development — major land acquisitions program. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for the major land acquisitions program under s. 23.09175.

AB612,12 Section 12. 20.866 (2) (ta) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB612,6,16 20.866 (2) (ta) Natural resources; Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship 2000 program. From the capital improvement fund a sum sufficient for the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship 2000 program under s. 23.0917. The state may contract public debt in an amount not to exceed $1,046,250,000 for this program. The state may contract additional public debt in an amount up to $42,600,000 for this program. The state may contract additional public debt in an amount up to $90,000,000. The state may contract additional public debt in an amount up to $53,000,000. Except as provided in s. 23.0917 (4g) (b), (4m) (k), (5), (5g), and (5m), the amounts obligated, as defined in s. 23.0917 (1) (e), under this paragraph may not exceed $46,000,000 in fiscal year 2000-01, may not exceed $46,000,000 in fiscal year 2001-02, may not exceed $60,000,000 in each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2002-03 and ending with fiscal year 2009-10, may not exceed $86,000,000 in fiscal year 2010-11, may not exceed $60,000,000 in fiscal year 2011-12, may not exceed $60,000,000 in fiscal year 2012-13, may not exceed $47,500,000 in fiscal year 2013-14, may not exceed $54,500,000 in fiscal year 2014-15, and may not exceed $33,250,000 in each fiscal year beginning with 2015- 16 and ending with fiscal year 2021-22. Except as provided in s. 23.0917 (4g) (b), (4m) (f) and (k), (5g), and (5m), the amounts obligated, as defined in s. 23.0917 (1) (e), under this paragraph cannot exceed $33,250,000 in each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2022-23 and ending with fiscal year 2025-26. Except as provided in s. 23.0917 (4g) (b), (4m) (f) and (k), (5g), and (5m), the amounts obligated, as defined in s. 23.0917 (1) (e), under this paragraph cannot exceed $13,250,000 in each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2027 and ending with fiscal year 2030.

AB612,13 Section 13. 20.866 (2) (tj) of the statutes is created to read:

AB612,6,21 20.866 (2) (tj) Natural resources; major land acquisitions program. From the capital improvement fund, a sum sufficient for the major land acquisitions program under s. 23.09175. The state may contract public debt in an amount not to exceed $0 for this purpose.

AB612,14 Section 14. 23.09 (19) (cg) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB612,7,2 23.09 (19) (cg) The department may award grants from the appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (hv) or 20.866 (2) (ta) for the acquisition of land or rights in land for urban green space under this subsection only for the purposes of nature-based outdoor recreation.

AB612,15 Section 15. 23.09 (20) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB612,7,12 23.09 (20) (am) Any governmental unit may apply for state aids for the acquisition and development of recreational lands and rights in lands. State aids under this subsection that are expended from the appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (hv) or 20.866 (2) (ta) may only be used for nature-based outdoor recreation. State aids received by a municipality shall be used for the development of its park system in accordance with priorities based on comprehensive plans submitted with the application and consistent with the outdoor recreation program under s. 23.30. An application under this subsection shall be made in the manner the department prescribes.

AB612,16 Section 16. 23.09 (20m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB612,7,19 23.09 (20m) (b) The department shall establish a program to award grants from the appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (hv) or 20.866 (2) (ta) to governmental units and nonprofit conservation organizations to acquire development rights in land for nature-based outdoor recreation. Except as provided in s. 23.096 (2m), the grants shall be limited to no more than 50 percent of the acquisition costs of the development rights.

AB612,17 Section 17. 23.09175 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB612,7,23 23.09175 (2m) Appropriations. The department cannot use moneys from an appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (hr), (ht), (hu), or (hv) or (7) (hs) for major land acquisitions.

AB612,18 Section 18. 23.0953 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB612,8,4 23.0953 (2) (b) Grants under this section shall be awarded from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ta), and, for purposes of s. 23.0917, shall be treated as moneys obligated from the subprogram under s. 23.0917 (3) 20.370 (5) (hr).