AB896: Bill Text

LRB-4706/3

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1999 - 2000 LEGISLATURE

1999 Assembly BILL 896

March 20, 2000 - Introduced by Representatives Johnsrud, Huber, Vrakas and Hasenohrl, cosponsored by Senators Shibilski, Cowles and Clausing. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

AB896,1,6 An Act to repeal 281.70 (6); to amend 281.70 (3) (a); and to create 20.370 (1) (hv), 23.0925, 281.69 (3) (b) 5., 281.69 (3) (b) 6., 281.69 (3) (b) 7. and 281.69 (3) (b) 8. of the statutes; relating to: the maintenance and development of habitat areas, all-terrain vehicle gas tax payments, river protection grant amounts, rules for river grant eligibility, rules for lake management project grants and making appropriations.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the department of natural resources (DNR) provides grants for certain projects relating to lakes including lake management projects that improve or protect the quality of water in lakes or the natural ecosystems of lakes. Current law requires DNR to promulgate rules designating those activities for which a grant may be provided. This bill requires DNR to designate certain additional activities for which a grant may be provided.

Under current law, DNR also provides grants for management projects and planning projects relating to rivers. Current law provides that a grant for a planning project may not exceed $10,000. This bill increases the limit for such a grant to $25,000. Current law also requires DNR to promulgate rules establishing the types of natural riverine ecosystems that are eligible for river planning or management project grants. This bill eliminates that requirement.

This bill also appropriates funds to maintain and develop certain habitat areas and increases funding for hunting and fishing promotion, for certain DNR positions, for aids relating to recreational boating and other projects, for lake management grants and for land acquisition, development and improvement.

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:

AB896, s. 1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

AB896, s. 2 Section 2. 20.370 (1) (hv) of the statutes is created to read:

AB896,2,8 20.370 (1) (hv) Habitat maintenance and development. The amounts in the schedule to maintain and develop the Glacial Habitat Restoration Area and the Western Habitat Restoration Area under s. 23.092 and to maintain and develop habitat areas under the Wetlands Reserve Program under 16 USC 3837, as limited by s. 23.0925.

AB896, s. 3 Section 3. 23.0925 of the statutes is created to read:

AB896,3,2 23.0925 Funds for habitat maintenance and development. The department may only expend funds from the appropriation under s. 20.370 (1) (hv) to maintain or develop the Glacial Habitat Restoration Area or the Western Habitat Restoration Area under s. 23.092 or to maintain or develop habitat areas under the Wetlands Reserve Program under 16 USC 3837 in a manner that, for every $1 expended by a private organization to maintain or develop any of those habitat areas, the department expends $1.

AB896, s. 4 Section 4. 281.69 (3) (b) 5. of the statutes is created to read:

AB896,3,7 281.69 (3) (b) 5. Education and demonstration activities for landowners, landscape contractors and officials of local governmental units, as defined in s. 66.299 (1) (a), relating to shoreland restoration areas and vegetative buffer areas on lake shores.

AB896, s. 5 Section 5. 281.69 (3) (b) 6. of the statutes is created to read:

AB896,3,9 281.69 (3) (b) 6. The development of shoreland restoration plans.

AB896, s. 6 Section 6. 281.69 (3) (b) 7. of the statutes is created to read:

AB896,3,12 281.69 (3) (b) 7. The preparation and distribution of technical assistance materials relating to lake management practices.

AB896, s. 7 Section 7. 281.69 (3) (b) 8. of the statutes is created to read:

AB896,3,15 281.69 (3) (b) 8. The purchase, distribution and placement of native shoreland plants by landowners.

AB896, s. 8 Section 8. 281.70 (3) (a) of the statutes, as created by 1999 Wisconsin Act 9, is amended to read:

AB896,3,19 281.70 (3) (a) A grant for a planning project may be made for up to 75% of the cost of the project but may not exceed $10,000 $25,000 per grant.

AB896, s. 9 Section 9. 281.70 (6) of the statutes, as created by 1999 Wisconsin Act 9, is repealed.

AB896, s. 10 Section 10. Nonstatutory provisions.

AB896,4,3 (1) Notwithstanding section 16.42 (1) (e) of the statutes, in submitting information under section 16.42 of the statutes for purposes of the 2001-03 biennial budget bill, the department of natural resources shall submit information concerning the appropriation under section 20.370 (5) (cq) of the statutes as though the increase in the dollar amount of that appropriation by Section 11 (6) of this act had not been made.

AB896,4,9 (2) Notwithstanding section 16.42 (1) (e) of the statutes, in submitting information under section 16.42 of the statutes for purposes of the 2001-03 biennial budget bill, the department of natural resources shall submit information concerning the appropriation under section 20.370 (7) (fs) of the statutes as though the increase in the dollar amount of that appropriation by Section 11 (8) of this act had not been made.

AB896, s. 11 Section 11 . Appropriation changes.

AB896,4,16 (1) Wildlife biologist and technician positions. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of natural resources under section 20.370 (1) (mu) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1999, the dollar amount is increased by $86,000 for fiscal year 2000-01 to increase the authorized FTE positions for the department by 2.0 SEG wildlife biologist and technician positions.

AB896,4,22 (2) Hunting and fishing promotion. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of natural resources under section 20.370 (1) (mu) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1999, the dollar amount is increased by $50,000 for fiscal year 2000-01 to provide funding to promote activities related to making hunting and fishing opportunities more available to the public.

AB896,5,2 (3) Conservation warden positions. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of natural resources under section 20.370 (3) (as) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1999, the dollar amount is increased by $316,500 for fiscal year 2000-01 to increase the authorized FTE positions for the department by 4.0 SEG conservation warden positions.

AB896,5,8 (4) Statewide rivers coordinator position. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of natural resources under section 20.370 (4) (aq) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1999, the dollar amount is increased by $50,800 for fiscal year 2000-01 to increase the authorized FTE positions for the department by 1.0 SEG statewide rivers coordinator position.

AB896,5,14 (5) Fisheries biologist and technician positions. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of natural resources under section 20.370 (4) (mu) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1999, the dollar amount is increased by $103,200 for fiscal year 2000-01 to increase the authorized FTE positions for the department by 2.0 SEG fisheries biologist and technician positions.

AB896,5,19 (6) Recreational boating and other projects. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of natural resources under section 20.370 (5) (cq) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1999, the dollar amount is increased by $500,000 for fiscal year 2000-01 to increase funding for the purposes for which the appropriation is made.

AB896,5,24 (7) Lake management grants. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the department of natural resources under section 20.370 (6) (ar) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1999, the dollar amount is increased by $850,000 for fiscal year 2000-01 to increase funding for the purposes for which the appropriation is made.

AB896,6,5 (8) Resource development. In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation to the natural resources under section 20.370 (7) (fs) of the statutes, as affected by the acts of 1999, the dollar amount is increased by $1,700,000 for fiscal year 2000-01 to increase funding for the purposes for which the appropriation is made.

AB896,6,6 (End)