6. The extent to which the application proposes to use available federal funding.
7. The extent to which the project is necessary to enable the city of Racine to control storm water discharges as required under 33 USC 1342 (p).
(e) The board shall review the scoring system proposed under par. (d) and shall approve the system as submitted or shall modify and approve the system. The board shall review the system at least once every 2 years and may require the department to submit a revised system after a review.
27,3586g
Section 3586g. 281.65 (4e) of the statutes is created to read:
281.65 (4e) The department of natural resources and the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, jointly, shall prepare a plan to allocate funding from the program under this section for staff in every county as funds become available from the completion or termination of projects under this section. The departments shall submit the plan to the land and water conservation board by July 1, 1998. The department of natural resources shall implement the plan upon the approval of the land and water conservation board.
27,3587
Section 3587
. 281.65 (4g) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.65 (4g) The department may contract with any person from the appropriations appropriation account under s. 20.370 (6) (aa) and (4) (at) for services to administer or implement this section, including information and education and training services. The department shall allocate $500,000 in each fiscal year from the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (4) (at) for contracts for educational and technical assistance related to the program under this section provided by the University of Wisconsin-Extension.
27,3588
Section 3588
. 281.65 (5) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.65 (5) (b) Prepare sections of the priority watershed or priority lake plan relating to farm-specific implementation schedules, requirements under ss. 92.104 and 92.105, animal waste management and selection of agriculturally related best management practices and submit those sections to the department for inclusion under sub. (4m) (b). The best management practices shall be cost-effective best management practices, as specified under sub. (4) (e), except in situations in which the use of a cost-effective best management practice will not contribute to water quality improvement or will cause a water body to continue to be impaired as identified to the federal environmental protection agency under 33 USC 1313 (d) (1) (A).
27,3588c
Section 3588c. 281.65 (5) (c) of the statutes is repealed.
27,3588s
Section 3588s. 281.65 (7m) of the statutes is created to read:
281.65 (7m) The state share of a grant for local administration under this section may not exceed 70% of the cost of the activities for which the grant is provided if the department first provides a grant to fund those activities after June 30, 1998.
27,3589
Section 3589
. 281.65 (8) (cm) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.65 (8) (cm) Grants may be provided from the appropriations under s. 20.370 (6) (aa) and (aq) to applicants for projects affecting priority lakes if the projects are in conformance with areawide water quality management plans and the purposes specified under sub. (1).
27,3590
Section 3590
. 281.65 (8) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.65 (8) (e) Except as provided in sub. (8c), grants may only be used for implementing best management practices. Grants for implementing best management practices may only be used for implementing cost-effective best management practices specified under sub. (4) (e) unless an applicant demonstrates that the use of a cost-effective best management practice will not contribute to water quality improvement or will cause a water body to continue to be impaired as identified to the federal environmental protection agency under 33 USC 1313 (d) (1) (A).
27,3591
Section 3591
. 281.65 (8) (f) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
281.65 (8) (f) A cost-sharing grant shall equal the percentage of the cost of implementing the best management practice that is determined by the governmental unit submitting the application under sub. (4c) (a) and is approved by the board, except as provided under pars. (gm) and (jm) and except that a cost-sharing grant may not exceed 70% of the cost of implementing the best management practice.
27,3592
Section 3592
. 281.65 (8) (g) of the statutes is repealed.
27,3593b
Section 3593b. 281.65 (8) (gm) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.65 (8) (gm) The department
governmental unit submitting the application under sub. (4c) (a) shall exceed the limit under par. (g) and any limit imposed by rule on the total amount of a grant (f) in cases of economic hardship, as defined by the department by rule.
27,3594
Section
3594. 281.65 (8) (h) of the statutes is repealed.
27,3595
Section 3595
. 281.65 (8) (hm) of the statutes is repealed.
27,3596
Section 3596
. 281.65 (8) (i) of the statutes is repealed.
27,3597
Section 3597
. 281.65 (8) (j) of the statutes is repealed.
27,3598
Section 3598
. 281.65 (8) (jm) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.65 (8) (jm) Notwithstanding pars. par. (f) to (h), after cost-sharing grants have been available in a priority watershed or priority lake area for 36 months only a reduced grant, which may not exceed a percentage established by the department by rule of the cost of implementing the best management practice, may be provided to the owner or operator of a site designated as a critical site in a priority watershed plan under sub. (5m) or in a modification to such a plan under sub. (5s).
27,3599
Section 3599
. 281.65 (8) (m) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.65 (8) (m) The department may recognize the value of a conservation easement created under s. 700.40 (2) and donated to the department, or to any person approved by the department, as constituting all or a portion of the landowner's or operator's share of a cost-sharing grant as determined under pars. par. (f) to (h).
27,3599am
Section 3599am. 281.65 (11) of the statutes is created to read:
281.65 (11) Notwithstanding subs. (3) (am) and (3m), the South Fork of the Hay River is a priority watershed for the period ending on June 30, 2001. Notwithstanding subs. (2) (a), (4) (dm), (e), (em) and (g) 4., (4m) (b) 3. and (8) (b) and (e), the department, in consultation with the local units of government involved with the priority watershed project, shall establish guidelines for the types of nonpoint source water pollution abatement practices to be eligible for cost-sharing grants in the watershed. Notwithstanding sub. (8) (f), the amount of a cost-sharing grant in the watershed may be based on the amount of pollution reduction achieved rather than on the cost of the practices installed, using guidelines developed by the department, in consultation with the local units of government involved with the priority watershed project. The department and the local governmental staff involved with the priority watershed project shall evaluate the cost effectiveness of the project and the reduction in nonpoint source water pollution associated with the project.
27,3599b
Section 3599b. 281.69 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.69 (title) Lake management
and classification grants.
27,3599c
Section 3599c. 281.69 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 281.69 (1) (intro.) and amended to read:
281.69 (1) (title) Types of projects. (intro.) The department shall develop and administer a financial assistance program to provide grants for lake the following 3 types of projects:
(a) Lake management projects that will improve or protect the quality of water in lakes or the natural ecosystems of lakes.
27,3599d
Section 3599d. 281.69 (1) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
281.69 (1) (b) Lake classification projects that will classify lakes by use and implement protection activities for the lakes based on their classification.
27,3599dm
Section 3599dm. 281.69 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
281.69 (1) (c) Lake classification technical assistance projects conducted by nonprofit corporations that will provide educational and technical assistance.
27,3599e
Section 3599e. 281.69 (2) (title) of the statutes is created to read:
281.69 (2) (title) Amounts of grants.
27,3599f
Section 3599f. 281.69 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 281.69 (2) (a) and amended to read:
281.69 (2) (a) The department may provide a grant under this section A grant for a lake management project may be made for up to 75% of the cost of a lake management the project but may not provide more than $200,000 per grant.
27,3599g
Section 3599g. 281.69 (2) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
281.69 (2) (b) A grant for a lake classification project may be made for up to 75% of the cost of the project but may not exceed $50,000 per grant.
27,3599h
Section 3599h. 281.69 (2) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
281.69 (2) (c) A grant for a lake classification technical assistance project may not exceed $200,000.
27,3599k
Section 3599k. 281.69 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.69 (3) (title) Rules for lake management project grants. (intro.) The department shall promulgate rules to administer and to determine eligibility for the program under this section grants for lake management projects. The rules shall include all of the following:
27,3599m
Section 3599m. 281.69 (3) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 281.69 (7).
27,3599n
Section 3599n. 281.69 (4) (title) of the statutes is created to read:
281.69 (4) (title) Lake management project grants; purchases.
27,3599p
Section 3599p. 281.69 (4) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.69 (4) (b) (intro.) The recipient of the grant
used for a purchase under sub. (3) (b) 1. may subsequently sell or transfer the acquired property to a 3rd party other than a creditor of the recipient if all of the following apply:
27,3599q
Section 3599q. 281.69 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
281.69 (4) (c) The recipient of the grant used for a purchase under sub. (3) (b) 1. may subsequently sell or transfer the acquired property to satisfy a debt or other obligation if the department approves the sale or transfer.
27,3599r
Section 3599r. 281.69 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
281.69 (5) Lake classification project grants. (a) The department shall promulgate rules to administer and to determine eligibility for grants for lake classification projects.
(b) The rules under par. (a) shall include guidelines to be used for lake classification. The guidelines shall require that certain factors be used in classifying each lake by use. The factors shall include all of the following:
1. The size, depth and shape of the lake.
2. The size of the lake's watershed.
3. The quality of the water in the lake.
4. The potential of the lake to be overused for recreational purposes.
5. The potential for the development of land surrounding the lake.
6. The potential of the lake to suffer from nonpoint source water pollution.
7. The type and size of the fish and wildlife population in and around the lake.
(c) The rules under par. (a) shall designate which classification and protection activities are eligible for lake classification grants.
(d) The department may award lake classification grants only to counties.
27,3599s
Section 3599s. 281.69 (6) of the statutes is created to read:
281.69 (6) Lake classification technical assistance grants. (a) The department shall promulgate rules to administer and determine eligibility for lake classification technical assistance grants to be awarded to nonprofit corporations.
(b) A nonprofit corporation receiving a lake classification technical assistance grant shall use the grant to provide educational and technical assistance to local units of government and lake management organizations that will participate in a lake classification project.
27,3599t
Section 3599t. 281.69 (7) (title) of the statutes is created to read:
281.69 (7) (title) Prohibited activities.
27,3599v
Section 3599v. 281.70 of the statutes is created to read:
281.70 Assistance to watershed groups. (1) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Local watershed group" means a group that is formed for the purpose of protecting or improving the water quality of a specific watershed.
(b) “Nonprofit organization" means a nonprofit corporation, a charitable trust or other nonprofit association
whose purposes include protecting or improving water quality in watersheds and that is described in section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(2) Education and information. From the appropriation under s. 20.370 (6) (au), the department shall provide funding to a nonprofit organization to do all of the following:
(a) Establish a center to encourage and facilitate the formation and development of local watershed groups.
(b) Serve as an educational and informational clearinghouse regarding information on protecting and improving water quality in watersheds.
(c) Provide technical assistance to local watershed groups.
(d) Administer the grant program under sub. (3).
(3) Grant program. (a) The nonprofit organization receiving funding under sub. (2) shall award grants from this funding to local watershed groups to assist them in their formation and development.
(b) A grant awarded under this subsection may not exceed $5,000.
(c) For purposes of determining which local watershed groups will receive the grants under this program, the nonprofit organization shall establish a committee to award the grants. The committee shall have members that represent any local-level and state-level groups, including state agencies, that have an interest in protecting or improving watersheds.
(4) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules to administer and implement this section, including eligibility requirements for the grants under sub. (3) and membership requirements for the committee established under sub. (3) (c).
(5) Applicability. This section does not apply after June 30, 2001.
27,3600
Section 3600
. 281.75 (16) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
