26.03(1)(a)(a) Before any person cuts, or causes to be cut any logs, piling, poles, posts, pulpwood, Christmas trees or other forest products, except fuel wood for personal home consumption, in, upon or adjoining any forest or wild land area the person shall pay all delinquent taxes on the land and each year shall mail a notice in the English language giving his or her name and post-office address, and listing all the lands upon which cutting is to be done, designating the lands upon which cutting is to be done by each 40 acre governmental subdivision or fraction of a 40 acre governmental subdivision with the proper section, town and range, by registered letter addressed to the county clerk of each county in which the land is located. The county clerk shall mail a copy of the notice to the town chairperson of each town in which lands upon which forest products are to be cut under this paragraph are located, and to the county treasurer, who shall forthwith determine whether the county holds tax certificates or tax deeds to any of the land listed in the notice, and if the county treasurer so finds, the county treasurer shall take action to collect the unpaid taxes represented by county-owned tax certificates or to prevent cutting on land to which the county holds a tax deed or tax certificate. This section shall not apply to cutting on public lands, as defined under
s. 70.13 (7), or to cutting for the purpose of clearing the land for agricultural use or to a person who may cut up to 5 Christmas trees on the person's own property for his or her own use, providing that he or she can prove that his or her real estate taxes for the previous calendar year have been paid.
26.03(1)(b)
(b) No purchaser of Indian reservation land or land to be placed upon the tax roll for the first time shall cut or cause to be cut any logs, piling, posts, poles, pulpwood, Christmas trees or other forest products, except fuel wood for personal home consumption, from such land without first recording the instrument by which title to such land was acquired in the office of the register of deeds for the county in which such land is located.
26.03(2)
(2) Penalties. Whoever violates this section shall forfeit not more than $50.
26.05
26.05
Timber theft. 26.05(1)(1)
Definition. As used in this section, "raw forest products" means forest products not altered by a manufacturing process off the land from which they are taken. This term includes logs, pilings, posts, poles, cordwood products, pulpwood, fuel wood and Christmas trees.
26.05(2)
(2) Consent of owner required. No person may cut, remove or transport raw forest products or direct the cutting, removal or transportation of raw forest products without the consent of the owner.
26.05(3)(a)(a) A person who violates this section or a rule promulgated under this section is subject to a forfeiture of not less than $100 nor more than $10,000.
26.05(3)(b)
(b) Instead of the forfeiture provided under
par. (a), a person who intentionally violates this section may be punished under
s. 943.20 for theft.
26.05(3)(c)
(c) In addition to any other penalty, a person who violates this section or a rule promulgated under this section is liable for the reasonable costs incurred to establish the volume and value of the raw forest products cut, removed or transported.
26.05 History
History: 1981 c. 67.
26.06
26.06
Enforcement, seizure and sale of materials. 26.06(1)(1) Foresters, forest supervisors, rangers and wardens of the department and the cruisers and foresters of the board of commissioners of public lands have the enforcement powers specified in
s. 26.97 with respect to, and may seize, without process, any forest products unlawfully severed from public lands of the state, federal lands leased to the state, county forest lands entered under
s. 28.11, forest croplands entered under
subch. I of ch. 77 or managed forest land designated under
subch. VI of ch. 77. Seized products cut from lands under the control of the board of commissioners of public lands shall be held for the commissioners and those cut from forest croplands, managed forest land or county forest shall be held for the owner, and subject to the payment of severance taxes, yield taxes or severance share thereon to the state. Products cut from state forest lands or federal lands leased to the department shall be appraised and sold. Products appraised at more than $500 shall be sold on sealed bids not less than 10 days after a class 1 notice has been published, under
ch. 985, in the county where the material is located. Any sheriff may seize and hold for the owner thereof any forest products unlawfully severed or removed.
26.06(2)
(2) Any person who, without the consent of a person legally able to give consent, removes any seized products or removes or defaces a seizure notice of the department or of any sheriff shall forfeit not more than $50.
26.06(3)
(3) Any person who transports, receives or conceals any forest products, knowing the same to have been unlawfully severed from the lands of another, shall be liable to the owner for double the value thereof and in addition shall be punished as provided in
s. 943.34 (1).
26.07
26.07
Money, how disposed of. All money received from the sale of logs, lumber, shingles, timber, minerals or other articles seized under this chapter, or recovered in legal proceedings for damages done the public lands, shall be paid into the treasury to the credit of the respective funds to which the lands belong on which such trespasses were committed, and all other money collected as expenses, fees, penalties and damages for trespass on such lands shall be paid into the general fund.
26.08
26.08
Leases and licenses. 26.08(1)(1) The department may, from time to time, lease parts or parcels of state park lands or state forest lands. These leases shall contain proper covenants to guard against trespass and waste. The rents arising from these leases shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the proper fund. Licenses also may be granted to prospect for ore or mineral upon any of these lands; but proper security shall be taken that the licensees will fully inform the department of every discovery of ore or mineral and will restore the surface to its former condition and value if no discovery of valuable deposits is made. The department shall retain a copy of each lease or license and file the original in the office of the board of commissioners of public lands.
26.08(2)(a)(a) Except as provided under
par. (b) the department may lease state park land or state forest land for terms not exceeding 15 years.
26.08(2)(b)
(b) The department may lease Rib Mountain state park lands and Willow river state park lands for terms not exceeding 30 years.
26.08(3)
(3) The department shall furnish to the board of commissioners of public lands such maps, plats, surveys, valuations, information and other services as the board may request respecting any of the public lands, for use by it in granting leases or licenses or in making sales under
s. 24.39.
26.08 History
History: 1979 c. 34;
1987 a. 27.
26.09
26.09
Civil liability for unlawful cutting, removal and transport. In addition to the other penalties and costs, any person unlawfully cutting, removing or transporting raw forest products is liable to the owner or to the county holding a tax certificate, or to the board of commissioners of public lands holding a land contract certificate under
ch. 24, to the land on which the unlawful cutting was done or from which it was removed, in a civil action, for double the amount of damages suffered. This section does not apply to the cutting, removal and transporting of timber for the emergency repair of a highway, fire lane or bridge upon or adjacent to the land.
26.09 History
History: 1981 c. 67.
26.09 Annotation
Double damages under this section are not "punitive damages". Hartland Cicero Mut. Ins. Co. v. Elmer, 122 W (2d) 481, 363 NW (2d) 252 (Ct. App. 1984).
26.10
26.10
Reports by the department to the board of commissioners of public lands. The department shall report monthly to the board of commissioners of public lands all trespasses committed, all materials seized, all sales made and all moneys received under
ss. 26.01 to
26.09.
26.11
26.11
Forest fires; department jurisdiction; procedure. 26.11(1)(1) The department is vested with power, authority and jurisdiction in all matters relating to the prevention, detection and suppression of forest fires outside the limits of incorporated villages and cities in the state except as provided in
sub. (2), and to do all things necessary in the exercise of such power, authority and jurisdiction.
26.11(2)
(2) The term "forest fire" as used in this chapter means uncontrolled, wild, or running fires occurring on forest, marsh, field, cutover or other lands or involving farm, city or village property and improvements incidental to the uncontrolled, wild or running fires occurring on forest, marsh, field, cutover or other lands.
26.11(3)
(3) The department shall direct and give suitable instructions to and obtain reports as directed from, the entire fire warden force of the state whether in officially established forest protection areas or elsewhere, and it may move about or concentrate the fire warden force as occasion demands.
26.11(4)
(4) The department may enter into arrangements or agreements and cooperate with town boards, county boards or committees thereof, with individuals, concerns, corporations or associations, for the purpose of improving the protection against forest fires.
26.11(5)
(5) The department may, upon request from the fire chief of a city or village, or the chief executive thereof, supply assistance within the limits of its resources in suppressing a forest fire within the confines of said municipality.
26.11(6)
(6) The department, as the director of the effort, may suppress a forest fire on lands located outside the boundaries of intensive or extensive forest fire protection districts but not within the limits of any city or village if the town responsible for suppressing fires within its boundaries spends more than $3,000, as determined by rates established by the department, on suppressing the forest fire and if the town chairperson makes a request to the department for assistance. Persons participating in the suppression efforts shall act at the direction of the department after the department begins suppression efforts under this subsection. Funds expended by the state under this subsection shall be drawn from the appropriation under
s. 20.370 (1) (mu).
26.11(7)(a)(a) Notwithstanding
s. 20.001 (3) (c), if the sum of the unencumbered balances in the appropriation accounts under
s. 20.370 (1) (cs) and
(mz) exceeds $500,000 on June 30 of any fiscal year, the amount in excess of $500,000 shall lapse from the appropriation account under
s. 20.370 (1) (cs) to the conservation fund, except as provided in
par. (b).
26.11(7)(b)
(b) Notwithstanding
s. 20.001 (3) (c), if the amount in the appropriation account under
s. 20.370 (1) (cs) is insufficient for the amount that must lapse under
par. (a), the remainder that is necessary for the lapse shall lapse from the appropriation account under
s. 20.370 (1) (mz).
26.12
26.12
Forest protection areas, organization, emergency fire wardens, county cooperation, setting fire. 26.12(1)(1)
Establishment of areas. Whenever it appears to the department from investigation, hearing or otherwise that areas in the state are in need of protection from forest fires, the department may by rule establish an intensive or an extensive forest protection area in the areas. The limits of each forest protection area shall be defined, and public notice of its establishment shall be published in the local press of the region affected as a class 1 notice, under
ch. 985, and given any other publicity the department deems necessary.
26.12(2)
(2) Organization. The department shall organize each forest protection area so as to most effectively prevent, detect and suppress forest fires, and to that end may employ experienced wardens or forest rangers to have charge of its efforts in each area; may subdivide each area into patrol areas; may establish lookout towers, construct ranger stations, telephone lines, purchase tools for fire fighting as well as other necessary supplies or equipment, and carry on all other activities considered necessary to effectively protect the area from forest fires, including the promulgation of rules for the payment of fire fighters, the preparation of notices and forms for publication and the disposition and use of all fire-fighting equipment or property. All property or equipment purchased by the state shall be owned by the state, but counties or towns may purchase and own equipment for fire suppression, and the equipment shall be used for the improvement of the forest fire-fighting organization.
26.12(3)
(3) Emergency fire wardens. The department may deputize additional fire wardens who shall be called emergency fire wardens, and who shall serve during the fire season or for such temporary periods as may be determined upon by the department. Such appointments shall be made in cooperation with the county board in the county concerned or with a committee thereof. A list of such appointments shall be submitted by the department each year on or before February 15 to such county board or authorized committee thereof for approval by such board or committee. Should no written approval of such list of emergency fire wardens be received by the department before March 15 of the year in which submitted such list as submitted shall be deputized by the department as the official list for the year. Any vacancies occurring during the year shall be filled by the department as occasion demands.
Chapter 230 shall not apply to appointments under this subsection and
s. 26.13 (1).
26.12(4)
(4) County cooperation. Each county included wholly or partially in a forest protection area may appoint a committee to cooperate with the department and to consider all matters relating to fire prevention, detection and suppression in the county, including the payment of fire fighters, the purchase of fire-fighting equipment and all matters or details relating to or arising from the prevention, detection and suppression of forest fires.
26.12(5)(a)(a) No person may set any fire except for warming the person or cooking food within the limits of any intensive forest protection area at any time of the year except when the ground is snow-covered, unless written permission has been received in advance from a duly appointed fire warden. The department shall prepare the necessary blanks for this purpose, shall promulgate rules for the issuance of the permits, shall appoint, if necessary, in addition to the regular or emergency fire wardens, others who shall be authorized to issue the permits, and shall have jurisdiction over all other details concerned with or growing out of the closed season on the setting of fire.
26.12(5)(b)
(b) No person may set any fire except for warming the person or cooking food within the limits of any extensive forest protection area at any time during January through May except when the ground is snow-covered and during any other time of the year when so ordered by the department unless written permission has been received in advance from a duly appointed fire warden. The department shall prepare the necessary blanks for this purpose, shall promulgate rules for the issuance of the permits, shall appoint, if necessary, in addition to the regular or emergency fire wardens, others who shall be authorized to issue the permits, and shall have jurisdiction over all other details concerned with or growing out of the closed season on the setting of fire.
26.12(6)(a)(a)
Definition. In this subsection and
sub. (7), "slash" means any tree tops, limbs, bark, abandoned forest products, windfalls or other debris left on the land after timber or other forest products have been cut.
26.12(6)(b)
(b)
Illegal felling. All slash, which during the process of cutting timber or taking out other forest products, falls into or is deposited in any lake or stream or on the land of an adjoining owner, shall be immediately removed therefrom by the timber owner or cutting operator conducting the operations when in the opinion of the department such removal is in the public interest. If such slash is not removed within 30 days, the department may do the work and the landowner, timber owner or cutting operator responsible for such slash shall be liable to the state jointly, severally or individually for the cost of such work, including supervision and transportation of its personnel and any court costs which may arise.
26.12(7)
(7) Slash disposal. All slash resulting from clearing or brushing on any public highway within the limits of any forest protection area shall be piled and burned or lopped and scattered. Whenever clearing or brushing work is done under contract the disposal of the resulting slash shall be made a part of the contract. All the slash shall be disposed of concurrently with the clearing or brushing operation or within a reasonable period to be determined by the department, but not to exceed one year. On failure to dispose of the slash the department may do the work and the municipality or contractor doing the clearing or brushing shall be liable to the state for the cost of the work.
26.13
26.13
Town fire wardens; duties, expenses. 26.13(1)
(1) The chairperson of the town board of each town outside the limits of a forest protection area shall, by virtue of the office and the oath of the office, be town fire warden for the town. The fire warden shall assist and cooperate with the department in all matters relating to the prevention, detection and suppression of forest fires. If a town is unusually large or if special or peculiar conditions in connection with forest fires exist, the department may, upon recommendation of the town chairperson, annually appoint emergency fire wardens as necessary, whose duties and authority shall be the same as provided for emergency fire wardens serving in forest protection areas.
26.13(2)
(2) All expenses arising from the prevention or suppression of forest fires by the town fire warden and by those called upon by the warden to assist in the work shall be borne by the town in which the expense was incurred. The town board may levy and assess a tax for defraying the expense. In addition the town board may levy a tax for the purchase of equipment for the suppression of forest fires. The taxes shall be collected in the same manner as other taxes, and when collected shall be paid into the town treasury from which the expense is paid.
26.13(3)
(3) Whenever the town board of any town located outside of a forest protection area deems it imprudent to set fires upon any land within the town, they shall post or cause to be posted in 5 or more public places in each township in the town, notices which shall be prepared by the department, or place one such notice in the official county paper, forbidding the setting of fires in the township, and after the posting of the notices no person may set any fire upon any land in the town except for warming the person or cooking food, until written permission has been received from one of the fire wardens of the town.
26.13 History
History: 1977 c. 224;
1989 a. 56.
26.14
26.14
Forest fires, authority of fire fighters, compensation, penalties, civil liability. 26.14(1)
(1) State forest rangers, town chairpersons, conservation wardens and other duly appointed deputies shall take prompt measures against the spread and illegal setting of forest fires. They may call upon any able-bodied citizen to assist in fighting fires in such manner as they direct.
26.14(2)
(2) All such forest rangers, town chairpersons, emergency fire wardens, conservation wardens and other duly appointed deputies may in the performance of their official duty go on the lands of any person to fight forest fires, and in so doing may set back fires, dig trenches, cut fire lines or carry on all other customary activities in the fighting of forest fires, without incurring a liability to anyone.
26.14(3)
(3) Emergency fire wardens, and all persons employed by them or by any other duly appointed fire warden for the purpose of suppressing forest fires, shall receive such hourly pay as the department may determine, for the time actually employed. Equipment operators and other specialists shall be paid the prevailing wage rate for comparable skills in each locality. And in addition thereto the department may allow the cost of meals, transportation and disbursements for emergency equipment. One-half of such expense shall be paid by the state and one-half by the county where such service was performed.
26.14(4)
(4) Emergency fire wardens or those assisting them in the fighting of forest fires shall prepare itemized accounts of their services and the services of those employed by them, as well as other expenses incurred, on blanks to be furnished by the department and in a manner prescribed by the department, and make oaths or affirmation that said account is just and correct, which account shall be forwarded and approved for payment by the department. As soon as any such account has been paid by the state treasurer the department shall send to the proper county treasurer a bill for the county's share of such expenses and a copy of the bill shall be filed with the department of administration. The county shall have 60 days within which to pay such bill, but if not paid within that time the county shall be liable for interest at the rate of 6% per year. If payment is not made within 60 days the department of administration shall include such amount as a part of the next levy against the county for state taxes, but no county shall be required to pay more than $5,000 in any one year. Any unpaid levy under this section shall remain a charge against the county and the department of administration shall include such unpaid sums in the state tax levy of the respective counties in subsequent years.
26.14(5)
(5) Any person who sets a fire or assists in the setting of a fire, including a back fire, on any lands in this state and fails to totally extinguish such fire before leaving it shall forfeit not more than $100 for the first offense and shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned for not more than 30 days or both for each subsequent offense.
26.14(6)
(6) Any person who sets a fire or assists in setting a fire, including a back fire, on any lands in this state and allows the fire to escape and become a forest fire shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than 90 days or both.
26.14(7)
(7) Any person who sets or assists in setting a fire upon marsh or other land in the state for the purpose of driving out game birds or animals shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than 90 days or both. The possession of firearms upon any marsh while it is on fire shall be prima facie evidence of such violation.
26.14(8)
(8) Any person who intentionally sets fire to the land of another or to a marsh shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than 5 years or both.
26.14(9)(a)(a) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as affecting the right to damages. The liability of persons for damages is not limited to the destruction of merchantable timber but may also include the value of young or immature forest growth.
26.14(9)(b)
(b) Any person who sets a fire on any land and allows such fire to escape and become a forest fire shall be liable for all expenses incurred in the suppression of the fire by the state or town in which the fire occurred. An action under this paragraph shall be commenced within the time provided by
s. 893.91 or be barred.
26.14 Annotation
Court cannot make the jump from the complaint and the stipulation of facts that a "large grass fire" is necessarily a forest fire as defined in 26.11 (2). Town of Howard v. Soo Line R.R. Co. 63 W (2d) 500, 217 NW (2d) 329.
26.14 Annotation
Intentional or negligent act, or omission where there is duty to act, is necessary prerequisite for imposition of fire suppression costs under (9) (b). DNR v. Wisconsin Power & Light Co. 108 W (2d) 403, 321 NW (2d) 286 (1982).
26.15
26.15
Responsibility of wardens and citizens. Any fire warden who refuses to carry out this chapter, or any able-bodied citizen who refuses to render assistance as provided by this chapter, shall forfeit not more than $50.
26.15 History
History: 1975 c. 365.
26.18
26.18
District attorneys to prosecute. Whenever an arrest has been made for any violation of this chapter, or whenever any information of such violation has been lodged with him or her, the district attorney of the county in which the act was committed may prosecute the offender.
26.18 History
History: 1975 c. 365.
26.19
26.19
Destruction of forest protection equipment or notices. 26.19(1)(1) Any person who destroys, defaces, removes or molests any forest protection equipment or property shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than 9 months or both.
26.19(2)
(2) Any person who disfigures any forest fire sign, poster or warning notice shall forfeit not more than $100.
26.19 History
History: 1975 c. 365;
1983 a. 422.
26.20
26.20
Fire protection devices. 26.20(2)
(2)
Spark arresters on locomotives. All road locomotives operated on any railroad shall be equipped with spark arresters that meet or exceed minimum performance and maintenance standards enumerated by the department. The superintendent of motive power or equivalent officer of each railway shall designate an employe of the railway at each railway division point and roundhouse who shall examine each locomotive and its spark arrester each time the locomotive leaves the railway division point or roundhouse and the designated employe and his or her employer shall each be held responsible for complying with this subsection.
26.20(3)
(3) Locomotive inspector; powers. Any locomotive inspector designated by the department shall have the power to reject from service immediately any locomotive, donkey, traction, or portable engine which, in the opinion of the inspector, is deficient in adequate design, construction, or maintenance of the fire protective devices designated in
sub. (2), and any such locomotive, donkey, traction, or portable engine so rejected from service shall not be returned to service until such defects have been remedied to the satisfaction of the locomotive inspector. In case of disagreement between the inspector and the owner of the locomotive, donkey, traction, or portable engine so rejected from service as to the efficiency or proper maintenance of said protective devices, then the owner of the locomotive, donkey, traction, or portable engine may appeal to the office of the commissioner of railroads for a decision of said matter, but pending such decision the locomotive, donkey, traction, or portable engine shall not be returned to service.
26.20(4)(a)(a) Every corporation maintaining and operating a railway shall, at least once in each year, and within 10 days when requested by the department in writing, cut and burn or remove from its right-of-way all grass and weeds and burn or remove from its right-of-way all brush, logs, refuse material, and debris within a reasonable time, and whenever fires are set for such purpose, shall prevent the escape of the fire from the right-of-way. Upon failure of a railway corporation to comply with this paragraph, the department may do or contract for completion of the work and the corporation shall be liable to the state for all of the costs of the work.
26.20(4)(b)
(b) The department may periodically require every corporation operating a railway to remove combustible materials from designated right-of-way or portions of a right-of-way, and lands adjacent to the right-of-way. This paragraph shall not relieve any railway corporation from responsibility or liability for causing any damage along any right-of-way nor from the corporation's duty to comply with
par. (a).
26.20(5)
(5) Combustible deposits on track. No such corporation shall permit its employes to deposit fire, live coals, or ashes upon their tracks outside of the yard limits, except they be immediately extinguished.
26.20(6)
(6) Reports and measures for prevention of fires.
