281.65(4)(g)6.
6. Determine the specific plan components to be prepared by any appropriate governmental units in the watershed or in the area of the project affecting the priority lake, after determining the technical, financial and staffing capability of that governmental unit.
281.65(4)(g)8.
8. Establish an implementation plan for each priority watershed and priority lake, including all of the following:
281.65(4)(g)8.a.
a. A list of the best management practices identified under
par. (dm) that are most critically needed to achieve water quality objectives in the priority watershed or priority lake.
281.65(4)(g)8.am.
am. Designation as critical sites those sites that are significant sources of nonpoint source pollution upon which best management practices must be implemented in order to obtain a reasonable likelihood that the water quality objectives established under
par. (dm) can be achieved.
281.65(4)(g)8.b.
b. A procedure for establishing implementation priorities to meet the needs identified in
subd. 8. a. with the highest priority given to significant sources of nonpoint pollution that substantially inhibit the achievement of water quality objectives.
281.65(4)(g)8.c.
c. Consultation with the committee appointed under
par. (dr) concerning the implementation plan.
281.65(4)(g)8.d.
d. A requirement to review the implementation plan periodically and to modify the implementation plan to reflect the agreements entered into by landowners and operators to implement best management practices.
281.65(4)(g)8.e.
e. Provisions for public notice and education concerning the implementation plan in the period during which grants are available to governmental units and landowners and operators, in order to achieve the greatest level of voluntary participation.
281.65(4)(g)9.
9. Complete the planning process in all priority watersheds by December 31, 2015.
281.65(4)(h)
(h) Designate a governmental unit to perform the inventory required under
sub. (4m) (a).
281.65(4)(i)
(i) Cooperate with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection under
s. 92.14 (6).
281.65(4)(j)
(j) A governmental unit may use a grant under this section for training required under
s. 92.18 or for any other training necessary to prepare personnel to perform job duties related to this section.
281.65(4)(k)
(k) Before public debt is contracted for projects under this section, prepare a plan for the expenditure of the proceeds of that debt and submit the plan to the land and water conservation board.
281.65(4)(L)
(L) Before September 1 of each year, in consultation with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, submit a budget report to the board that includes anticipated expenditures for projects under this section during the next year, criteria for ending projects under this section and, if anticipated expenditures exceed anticipated funding, a plan for reducing expenditures.
281.65(4)(o)
(o) Annually, in cooperation with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, submit a report on the progress of the program under this section to the land and water conservation board.
281.65(4)(p)
(p) Jointly with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, prepare the plan required under
s. 92.14 (13). The department shall review and approve or disapprove the plan and shall notify the land and water conservation board of its final action on the plan. The department shall implement any part of the plan for which the plan gives it responsibility.
281.65(4)(pm)
(pm) Jointly with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, develop the forms required under
s. 92.14 (14).
281.65(4)(q)
(q) Include the report submitted under
sub. (3) (b), along with a request for all resources and any changes necessary to implement each recommendation in the report, in the information that it submits to the department of administration under
s. 16.42 for the program under this section.
281.65(4)(s)
(s) Provide staff services to the land and water conservation board.
281.65(4)(t)
(t) Transfer funds from the appropriation account under
s. 20.370 (6) (aa) or
(aq) to the appropriation account under
s. 20.115 (7) (km) at the request of the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, after the land and water conservation board approves the transfer, under
s. 92.14 (5) (b).
281.65(4c)(a)(a) Beginning on July 1, 1998, a governmental unit may request funding for a priority watershed project, a priority lake project or a nonpoint source water pollution abatement project that is not in a priority watershed or a priority lake area by submitting an application to the board. An application shall be submitted before July 15 to be considered for initial funding in the following year.
281.65(4c)(b)
(b) The department, in consultation with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, shall use the system approved under
par. (e) to determine the score of each project for which the board receives an application under
par. (a) and shall inform the board of the scores no later than September 1 of each year.
281.65(4c)(c)
(c) After receiving project scores under
par. (b) and before November 1 of each year, the board shall select projects for funding under this section in the following year. To the extent practicable, within the requirements of this section, the board shall select projects so that projects are distributed evenly around this state.
281.65(4c)(d)
(d) No later than April 1, 1998, the department, in consultation with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, shall propose to the board a scoring system for ranking nonpoint source water pollution abatement projects for which applications are submitted under
par. (a). The criteria on which the scoring system is based shall include all of the following:
281.65(4c)(d)1.
1. The extent to which the application proposes to use the cost-effective and appropriate best management practices to achieve water quality goals.
281.65(4c)(d)2.
2. The existence in the project area of an impaired water body that the department has identified to the federal environmental protection agency under
33 USC 1313 (d) (1) (A).
281.65(4c)(d)3.
3. The extent to which the project will result in the attainment of established water quality objectives.
281.65(4c)(d)5.
5. The inclusion of a strategy to evaluate the progress toward reaching project goals, including the monitoring of water quality improvements resulting from project activities.
281.65(4c)(d)6.
6. The extent to which the application proposes to use available federal funding.
281.65(4c)(d)7.
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).
281.65(4c)(e)
(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.
281.65(4e)
(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.
281.65(4g)
(4g) The department may contract with any person from the appropriation account under
s. 20.370 (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.
281.65(4m)(a)(a) Any governmental unit or regional planning commission designated by the department under
sub. (4) (h) shall prepare an inventory of nonpoint source water pollution in the watershed which is the subject of the plan under
sub. (4) (g) and submit the inventory to the department for incorporation into the plan.
281.65(4m)(b)
(b) Every plan prepared for an area under
sub. (4) (g) shall include all of the following:
281.65(4m)(b)3.
3. The identification of critical surface water and groundwater protection management areas within that area and the agricultural and nonagricultural best management practices to be applied to that area.
281.65(4m)(b)4.
4. A plan implementation schedule developed in cooperation with the appropriate governmental unit or designated local management agency identified under
sub. (4) (b).
281.65(4m)(b)6.
6. An integrated resource management strategy to protect or enhance fish and wildlife habitat, aesthetics and other natural resources.
281.65(4m)(b)7.
7. A comprehensive management strategy to manage agricultural and nonagricultural nonpoint source water pollution affecting surface water or groundwater, including animal waste, fertilizer, pesticides, storm water, construction site erosion and other nonpoint sources of water pollution.
281.65(4m)(c)
(c) The department shall submit a copy of any plan it completes under this subsection to any county located in or containing any watershed which is a subject of the plan and to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection. The department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection shall review the plan and notify the department of natural resources of its comments on the plan. A county receiving a plan under this subsection shall review the plan, approve or disapprove the plan and notify the department of natural resources of its action on the plan.
281.65(4m)(d)
(d) After the department considers the comments of the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection on a plan under
par. (c) and receives approval of the plan by every county to which it was sent and by the land and water conservation board, the department shall designate the plan to be an element of the appropriate areawide water quality management plan under
P.L. 92-500, section 208.
281.65(5)
(5) The department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection shall:
281.65(5)(b)
(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).
281.65(5)(d)
(d) Develop a grant disbursement and project management schedule for agriculturally related best management practices to be included in a plan established under
sub. (4) (g) and identify recommendations for implementing activities or projects under
ss. 92.10,
92.104 and
92.105.
281.65(5)(e)
(e) Identify areas within a priority watershed or priority lake area that are subject to activities required under
ss. 92.104 and
92.105.
281.65(5)(f)
(f) Provide implementation assistance as identified and approved in the priority watershed or priority lake plan under
sub. (4) (g).
281.65(5m)
(5m) Upon completion of plans by the department under
sub. (4) (g), the governmental unit or regional planning commission under
sub. (4m) and the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection under
sub. (5), and upon receiving the approval of the land and water conservation board, the department shall prepare and approve the final plan for a priority watershed or priority lake.
281.65(5s)
(5s) The department may make modifications, including designating additional sites as critical sites, in a priority watershed or priority lake plan with the approval of every county to which the department sent the original plan under
sub. (4m) (c) and of the land and water conservation board. If the owner or operator of a site prevails in a final review under
sub. (7) or the site is not designated as a critical site in the original plan under
sub. (5m) and the pollution is from an agricultural source and is not caused by animal waste, the department may not make a modification designating the site as a critical site unless the designation is based on a substantial increase in pollution from the site, on information about pollution from the site that was not available when the plan was prepared or on a substantial change to the criteria for designating a site as a critical site. This subsection applies to a priority watershed or priority lake plan completed before, on or after August 12, 1993.
281.65(5w)
(5w) After the land and water conservation board approves a priority watershed or priority lake plan or a modification to such a plan that designates a site to be a critical site, the department shall notify the owner or operator of that site of the designation and of the provisions in
sub. (7) and either
s. 281.20 or, if the pollution is caused primarily by animal waste,
ss. NR 243.21 to
243.26, Wis. adm. code.
281.65(5y)
(5y) If the owner or operator of a critical site installs and maintains best management practices as provided under the priority watershed or priority lake plan, the site is no longer a critical site. The owner or operator may discontinue maintenance of a best management practice for a period during which the owner or operator changes the use of the site if the best management practice is not needed for the changed use.
281.65(6)
(6) The appropriate governmental unit is responsible for local administration and implementation of priority watershed and priority lakes projects and shall:
281.65(6)(a)
(a) Be responsible for coordination and implementation of activities necessary to achieve water quality objectives including the development of a detailed program for implementation.
281.65(6)(b)
(b) Utilize, whenever possible, existing staff or contract with existing governmental agencies to utilize that agency's existing staff to provide various field, administrative, planning and other services.
281.65(6)(d)
(d) Participate in the plan preparation under contract with the department. The department shall determine the specific plan components which will be prepared depending upon the technical, financial and staffing capability of the appropriate governmental unit.
281.65(7)(a)1.1. The owner or operator of a site designated as a critical site in a priority watershed or priority lake plan under
sub. (5m) or in a modification to such a plan under
sub. (5s) may request a review of that designation by filing a written request within 60 days after receiving notice under
sub. (5w) with the land conservation committee of the county in which the site is located or, if the site is located in more than one county, with the land conservation committee of the county in which the largest portion of the site is located.
281.65(7)(a)2.
2. A county land conservation committee receiving a request under
subd. 1. shall provide the owner or operator with a hearing and shall provide reasonable notice of the hearing to the owner or operator, the department and the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection. The county land conservation committee shall conduct the hearing under this subdivision as an informal hearing.
Section 68.11 (2) does not apply to the hearing. The land conservation committee shall hold the hearing in a place convenient to the owner or operator. Within 60 days after the hearing, the department shall, and the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection may, submit a report and recommendation to the land conservation committee concerning the issues at the hearing. The land conservation committee may affirm or reverse the designation of the site as a critical site.
281.65(7)(b)
(b) The owner or operator of a site designated as a critical site in a priority watershed or priority lake plan under
sub. (5m) or in a modification to such a plan under
sub. (5s) or the department of natural resources may obtain a review of the decision of a county land conservation committee under
par. (a) 2. by filing a written request with the land and water conservation board within 60 days after receiving the decision of the county land conservation committee.
281.65(7)(c)
(c) The owner or operator of a site designated as a critical site in a priority watershed or priority lake plan under
sub. (5m) or in a modification to such a plan under
sub. (5s) may request a contested case hearing under
ch. 227 to review the decision of the land and water conservation board under
par. (b) by filing a written request with the department within 60 days after receiving an adverse decision of the land and water conservation board.
281.65(7m)
(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.
281.65(8)
(8) Eligibility for cost-sharing grants under this section shall be determined based on the following:
281.65(8)(a)
(a) Governmental units and individual landowners or operators are eligible for cost-sharing grants.
281.65(8)(b)
(b) Grants may be provided to applicants in priority watershed areas for projects in conformance with approved areawide water quality management plans.
281.65(8)(c)
(c) Grants may be provided to applicants in nonpriority watersheds for projects which are in conformance with areawide water quality management plans and which conform to the purposes specified under
sub. (1).
281.65(8)(cm)
(cm) Grants may be provided 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).
281.65(8)(d)
(d) Each cost-sharing grant shall be approved by the designated management agency.
281.65(8)(e)
(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).
281.65(8)(f)
(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.
281.65(8)(gm)
(gm) The governmental unit submitting the application under
sub. (4c) (a) shall exceed the limit under
par. (f) in cases of economic hardship, as defined by the department by rule.
281.65(8)(jm)
(jm) Notwithstanding
par. (f), 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).
281.65(8)(k)
(k) A minimum of 70% of the total amount of cost-sharing grants available annually under this section shall be utilized for implementing best management practices in priority watersheds.
281.65(8)(L)
(L) A grant may not be made to an individual if the department receives a certification under
s. 49.855 (7) that the individual is delinquent in child support or maintenance payments or owes past support, medical expenses or birth expenses.
281.65(8)(m)
(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
par. (f).
281.65(8)(n)
(n) The department shall identify by rule the types of cost-shared practices and the minimum grant amounts for cost-sharing grants that require any subsequent owner of the property to maintain the cost-shared practice for the life of the cost-shared practice, as determined by the department.
281.65(8)(o)
(o) The department shall provide grants for animal waste storage facilities in amounts not to exceed an amount specified by the department by rule.
281.65(8)(p)
(p) The department may provide a cost-sharing grant to replace a structure or facility at a new location, rather than to repair or reconstruct the structure or facility, if the relocation reduces water pollution and replacement is cost-effective compared to repairing or reconstructing the structure or facility.
281.65(8b)
(8b) Beginning in 1999, if the department establishes an anticipated cost-share reimbursement amount for a year for a county that receives funding under this section and the county enters into cost-share agreements with landowners or operators that result in reimbursable amounts for the year that exceed the amount established by the department, the county shall provide reimbursement to the landowners or operators in the amount by which the reimbursable amounts exceed the amount established by the department.
281.65(8c)
(8c) The department may distribute a grant to a municipality that is required to control storm water discharges under
33 USC 1342 (p) in a priority watershed or priority lake area for practices, techniques or measures to control storm water discharges if those practices, techniques or measures are identified in the plan under
sub. (4) (g) for the priority watershed or priority lake area.
281.65(8d)
(8d) The department may distribute a grant to the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System for practices, techniques or measures to control storm water discharges on a University of Wisconsin System campus that is located in a municipality that is required to obtain a permit under
s. 283.33 and that is located in a priority watershed area, a priority lake area or an area that is identified as an area of concern by the International Joint Commission, as defined in
s. 281.35 (1) (h), under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
281.65(8e)
(8e) The department may not require a person who received a cost-sharing grant to repay the cost-sharing grant on the basis of a violation of this section, rules promulgated under this section or the grant agreement, if, at the time of the violation, the person who received the grant no longer owns or operates the land for which the department provided the grant. This subsection applies without regard to whether the person received the grant before, on or after May 16, 1992.
281.65(8m)
(8m) If the department determines under
sub. (4) (g) 5. that a county, city, village or town should be required to develop a construction site erosion control ordinance under
s. 59.693,
60.627,
61.354 or
62.234 or a manure storage ordinance under
s. 92.16, that county, city, village or town shall make a commitment to develop and adopt the ordinance as a condition of receiving a grant under this section.
