The United States Department of Agriculture administers a number of federal programs that offer voluntary conservation incentives to farmers. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a key program offering cost-sharing for conservation improvements, including nutrient management plans, manure storage improvements and others.
Other programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) also provide cost-sharing and other incentives for conservation practices. DATCP attempts to coordinate state conservation funding programs with relevant federal programs.
Entities Affected by the Rule
County Conservation Programs: This rule may revise standards and procedures for county conservation programs, including funding standards and procedures. New grant allocation procedures may ultimately affect grant allocations between counties (this rule will not directly alter grant allocations). County staff may need to become familiar with modified conservation standards and procedures. Rule changes may affect the certification of county agricultural engineering practitioners.
Farmers and Other Landowners: Farmers may be affected by changes to current farm conservation standards and requirements. Farmers may also be affected by changes to current cost-share standards and procedures. To the extent that this rule may ultimately affect grant allocations between counties, farmers in those counties may also be affected. This rule may also affect non-farmer landowners, to the extent that it clarifies DATCP cost-share policy related to those landowners.
Farm-Related Businesses: Farm supply organizations, nutrient management planners, soil testing laboratories, agricultural engineering practitioners, agricultural engineers, construction contractors and others provide goods and services to farmers related to farm conservation. Those entities may be affected by this rule, including changes related to conservation standards and cost-share grants to farmers.
Users and Beneficiaries of Natural Resources: Communities, businesses including the tourist industry, and individuals benefit from the protections in this rule for water and soil resources. This rule establishes conservation practices, supports county resource management programs, and provides cost-sharing to prevent runoff and provide other protections for land and water.
Policy Alternatives
If DATCP takes no action, current rules will remain in effect. Some current rule provisions are outdated in certain respects, and may not adequately address stakeholder needs. The current rules do not address possible changes in DNR standards related to nonpoint source pollution. Some current rule provisions may hinder effective future operation of the DATCP programs, or may limit DATCP's ability to respond to changing conditions. Some provisions may also hinder future coordination of federal, state and local conservation programs.
Statutory Alternatives
None at this time.
Estimate of Time Needed to Develop the Rule
DATCP estimates that it will use the equivalent of 1.25 FTE staff to revise this rule. This anticipates an 18 month period for investigation and analysis, rule drafting, preparing related documents, coordinating advisory committee meetings, holding public hearings and communicating with affected persons and groups. DATCP will use existing staff to develop this rule.
DATCP Board Authorization
DATCP may not begin drafting this rule until the Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (Board) approves this scope statement. The Board may not approve this scope statement sooner than 10 days after this scope statement is published in the Wisconsin Administrative Register. If the Board takes no action on the scope statement within 30 days after the scope statement is presented to the Board, the scope statement is considered approved. Before DATCP holds public hearings on this rule, the department must prepare an economic impact analysis and the Board must approve the hearing draft. The Governor and the Board must also approve the final draft rule before DATCP adopts the rule.
Employment Relations Commission
This statement of scope was approved by the governor on July 20, 2011.
Subject
The Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission plans to promulgate emergency and permanent administrative rules regarding the conduct of initial annual certification elections for municipal and state employee bargaining units as mandated by
2011 Wisconsin Act 10 and
2011 Wisconsin Act 32.
Statutory Authority
Statutory authority to promulgate the rules is found in sections. 111.71, 111.94, 227.11 and 227.44, Stats.
Policy Analysis
The rules will affect all municipal employers, the State of Wisconsin, all municipal and state employees who are eligible to be represented by a labor organization for the purposes of collective bargaining, and all labor organizations who do or wish to represent employees of a municipal employer or of the State of Wisconsin for the purposes of collective bargaining.
Comparison with Federal Regulations
There are no existing or proposed federal regulations that address the activities to be regulated by the rules.
Estimate of Time Needed to Develop the Rule
It is estimated that 100 hours of state employee time will be spent to develop the rules.
Agency Contact
Scope Statement prepared 7/15/2011 by Peter G. Davis, Chief Legal Counsel, Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission. (608) 266-2993
peterg.davis@wisconsin.gov.
