LRB-4372/1
EHS:ahe
2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE
October 16, 2017 - Introduced by Representatives Tusler, Kitchens, Anderson,
Horlacher, Steffen, C. Taylor, Vorpagel and Mursau, cosponsored by
Senators Cowles, Wanggaard, Harsdorf, Miller, Olsen and Petrowski.
Referred to Committee on Environment and Forestry.
AB537,1,3 1An Act to create 23.0917 (5g) (d) of the statutes; relating to: amounts obligated
2under the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship 2000 Program for
3water infrastructure projects in state parks.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Natural Resources to obligate no more
than $4,500,000 in unobligated moneys under the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson
Stewardship 2000 Program to fund critical health and safety-related water
infrastructure projects in state parks, prioritizing projects in those state parks with
the highest demand.
Current law authorizes the state to incur public debt for certain conservation
activities under the stewardship program, which is administered by DNR. 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 to acquire land for
these purposes.
The stewardship program consists of five subprograms. Current law
establishes the amounts that DNR may obligate in each fiscal year through 2019-20
for expenditure under each of these subprograms. Prior to fiscal year 2011-12, if
DNR did not obligate the full amount it was authorized to obligate in a fiscal year
under a subprogram, DNR was required to adjust the annual bonding authority for
that subprogram by raising the annual bonding authority for the next fiscal year by
the amount unobligated in that given fiscal year. This changed beginning in fiscal

year 2011-12 and, generally, under current law, if DNR does not obligate an amount
authorized to be obligated for a subprogram in a fiscal year, it may not adjust the
annual bonding authority for that subprogram by raising the annual bonding
authority for the next fiscal year.
Under current law, the unobligated amounts for the land acquisition, property
development and local assistance, and recreational boating aids subprograms from
fiscal years 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14 are obligated for three specific purposes:
infrastructure improvements to the Kettle Moraine Springs fish hatchery, repair or
replacement of the Little Falls Dam at Willow River State Park in St. Croix County,
and dam safety grants. This bill obligates not more than $4,500,000 of the
unobligated amount for these subprograms from fiscal year 2016-17 to fund critical
health and safety-related water infrastructure projects in state parks, prioritizing
projects in those state parks with the highest demand.
For further information see the state 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:
AB537,1 1Section 1. 23.0917 (5g) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
AB537,2,82 23.0917 (5g) (d) 1. In this paragraph, “unobligated amount" means the amount
3by which the annual bonding authority for the subprograms under subs. (3), (4), and
4(4j) in fiscal year 2016-17 exceeded the amounts that the department obligated from
5the moneys appropriated under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) for those subprograms for that fiscal
6year, but not including the amount by which the annual bonding authority for the
7purpose under sub. (3) (br) in fiscal year 2016-17 exceeded the amount obligated for
8that purpose in that fiscal year.
AB537,2,129 2. Of the unobligated amount, the department shall obligate an amount
10necessary to fund critical health and safety-related water infrastructure projects in
11state parks, prioritizing projects in those state parks with the highest demand, but
12not more than $4,500,000.
AB537,2,1313 (End)
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