77.86(1)(b)
(b) Except as provided under
sub. (6), an owner who intends to cut merchantable timber on managed forest land shall, at least 30 days before the cutting is to take place, on a form provided by the department, file a notice of intent to cut and request approval of the proposed cutting from the department.
77.86(1)(c)
(c) If the proposed cutting conforms to the management plan and is consistent with sound forestry practices, the department shall approve the request.
77.86(1)(d)
(d) If the proposed cutting does not conform to the management plan or is not consistent with sound forestry practices, the department shall assist the owner in developing an acceptable proposal before approving the request.
77.86(2)
(2) Bond. The department may require an owner who intends to cut merchantable timber on managed forest land to file with the department a noncancelable bond furnished by a surety company licensed to do business in this state in the amount expected to be required as payment of the yield tax under
s. 77.87 (1).
77.86(3)
(3) Time limit. All cutting specified in the notice under
sub. (1) (b) shall be commenced within one year after the date the proposed cutting is approved. The owner shall report to the department the date on which the cutting is commenced.
77.86(4)
(4) Reporting. Within 30 days after completion of any cutting approved under this section, the owner shall report to the department, on a form provided by the department, a description of the species of wood, kind of product and the quantity of each species cut as shown by the scale or measurement made on the ground as cut, skidded, loaded or delivered, or by tree scale certified by a forester acceptable to the department if the wood is sold by tree measurement.
77.86(5)(a)(a) Any person who fails to file the notice required under
sub. (1) (b), who fails to file a report as required under
sub. (4), or who files a false report under
sub. (4) shall forfeit not more than $1,000.
77.86(5)(b)
(b) Any owner who cuts merchantable timber in violation of this section is subject to a forfeiture equal to 20% of the current value of the merchantable timber cut, based on the stumpage value established under
s. 77.91 (1).
77.86(6)
(6) Exception. This section does not apply to an owner who cuts wood on managed forest land for use as fuel in the owner's dwelling.
77.86 History
History: 1985 a. 29;
2009 a. 365.
77.87(1)(1)
Taxation. The department shall assess a yield tax against each owner who cuts merchantable timber and files a report under
s. 77.86. If the owner fails to timely file a report under
s. 77.86 (4), the department shall determine the value of the merchantable timber cut for the assessment of the yield tax. The yield tax shall equal 5% of the value of the merchantable timber cut, based on the stumpage value established under
s. 77.91 (1). The department shall mail a copy of the certificate of assessment to the owner at the owner's last-known address.
77.87(1g)
(1g) Exemption. For a managed forest land order that takes effect on or after April 28, 2004, the owner of the managed forest land is exempt from payment of the yield tax under
sub. (1) for the first 5 years of the managed forest land order. The exemption under this subsection does not apply to any of the following orders:
77.87(1g)(a)
(a) An order converting forest cropland to managed forest land pursuant to an application approved under
s. 77.82 (7) (d).
77.87(1g)(c)
(c) An order under
s. 77.82 (8) that designates as managed forest land forest cropland that was subject to a contract under
s. 77.03.
77.87(2)
(2) Supplemental yield tax. At any time within one year after a report is filed under
s. 77.86 (4), the department, after notifying the owner and providing the owner with the opportunity for a hearing, may determine whether the report is accurate. If the department determines that the quantity of merchantable timber cut exceeded the amount on which the tax was assessed under
sub. (1), the department shall assess a supplemental yield tax on the additional amount as provided under
sub. (1).
77.87(3)
(3) Payment. A tax assessed under
sub. (1) or
(2) is due and payable to the department on the last day of the next month following the date the certificate is mailed to the owner. The department shall collect interest at the rate of 12% per year on any tax that is paid later than the due date. Amounts received shall be credited to the conservation fund.
77.87(4)
(4) Owner's liability. The owner is personally liable for a tax assessed under
sub. (1) or
(2). An unpaid tax becomes a lien against the merchantable timber that was cut. If the merchantable timber cut is mingled with other wood products, the unpaid tax becomes a lien against all of the wood products while they are in the owner's possession, or in the possession of any person other than a purchaser for value without notice in the usual course of business.
77.87(5)
(5) Delinquency. If a tax due under this section is not paid on or before the last day of the August following the date specified under
sub. (3), the department shall certify to the taxation district clerk the description of the land and the amount due for the tax and interest. The taxation district clerk shall enter the delinquent amount on the property tax roll as a special charge.
77.875
77.875
Grazing restricted. An owner of managed forest land may not permit domesticated animals to graze on managed forest land.
77.875 History
History: 1985 a. 29.
77.876
77.876
Noncompliance assessment. 77.876(1)
(1)
Assessment. The department shall certify to each municipality in which the property is located an owner's failure to complete a forestry practice during the period of time required under an applicable management plan, and the municipality shall impose a noncompliance assessment of $250 against the owner for each failure. The department shall mail a copy of the certificate of assessment to the owner at the owner's last-known address and to the municipality.
77.876(2)
(2) Payment. An assessment under
sub. (1) is due and payable to the municipality on the last day of the month following the date the certificate is mailed to the owner. The municipality shall collect interest at the rate of 12 percent per year on any assessment that is paid later than the due date.
77.876(3)
(3) Owner's liability. The owner is personally liable for an assessment under
sub. (1). An unpaid assessment becomes a lien against the merchantable timber cut. If the merchantable timber cut is mingled with other wood products, the unpaid assessment becomes a lien against all of the wood products while they are in the owner's possession or in the possession of any person other than a purchaser for value without notice in the usual course of business.
77.876(4)
(4) Delinquency. If an assessment due under
sub. (1) is not paid on or before the last day of the August following the date specified under
sub. (2), the municipality shall certify to the taxation district clerk the description of the land and the amount due for the assessment and interest. The taxation district clerk shall enter the delinquent amount on the property tax roll as a special charge.
77.876 History
History: 2003 a. 228;
2005 a. 299.
77.88
77.88
Withdrawal; transfer of ownership; nonrenewal. 77.88(1)(1)
Withdrawal by department order. 77.88(1)(a)(a) The department may, at the request of the owner of managed forest land or of the governing body of any municipality in which any managed forest land is located, or at its own discretion, investigate to determine whether the designation as managed forest land should be withdrawn. Except as provided in
par. (am), the department shall notify the owner of the land and the mayor of the city, the chairperson of the town, or the president of the village in which the land is located of the investigation.
77.88(1)(am)
(am) If a city or village is organized under
subch. I of ch. 64, the department shall notify the president of the city council or village board of any investigation under
par. (a).
77.88(1)(b)
(b) Following an investigation under
par. (a), the department may order the withdrawal of all or any part of a parcel of managed forest land for any of the following reasons:
77.88(1)(b)2.
2. The owner's failure to comply with this subchapter or the management plan.
77.88(1)(b)4.
4. The owner's development or use of any part of the parcel for a purpose which is incompatible with the purposes specified in
s. 77.80.
77.88(1)(b)5.
5. The owner's posting of signs or otherwise denying access to open managed forest land.
77.88(1)(c)
(c) If the department determines that land should be withdrawn, it shall issue an order withdrawing the land as managed forest land and shall assess against the owner the tax under
sub. (5) and the withdrawal fee under
sub. (5m).
77.88(2)
(2) Sale or transfer of ownership. 77.88(2)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (am), an owner may sell or otherwise transfer ownership of all or part of the owner's managed forest land if the land transferred is one of the following:
77.88(2)(a)2.
2. All of an owner's managed forest land within a quarter quarter section.
77.88(2)(a)3.
3. All of an owner's managed forest land within a government lot or fractional lot as determined by the U.S. government survey plat.
77.88(2)(am)
(am) If the land transferred under
par. (a) does not meet the eligibility requirements under
s. 77.82 (1), the department shall issue an order withdrawing the land from managed forest land designation and shall assess against the owner a withdrawal tax under
sub. (5) and the withdrawal fee under
sub. (5m).
77.88(2)(b)
(b) If the land remaining after a transfer under
par. (a) is contiguous and meets the eligibility requirements under
s. 77.82 (1) (a) 2. and
(b), it shall continue to be designated as managed forest land until the expiration of the existing order, even if the parcel contains less than 10 acres. Notwithstanding
s. 77.82 (12), an owner may not file an application with the department for renewal of the order if the parcel contains less than 10 acres. No withdrawal tax under
sub. (5) or withdrawal fee under
sub. (5m) may be assessed when the remaining land is withdrawn at the expiration of the order.
77.88(2)(c)
(c) If the remaining land does not meet the eligibility requirements under
s. 77.82 (1) (a) 2. and
(b), the department shall issue an order withdrawing the land and shall assess against the owner the withdrawal tax under
sub. (5) and the withdrawal fee under
sub. (5m). Notwithstanding
s. 77.90, the owner is not entitled to a hearing on an order withdrawing land under this paragraph.
77.88(2)(d)1.1. Within 30 days after a transfer of ownership, the transferee shall, on a form provided by the department, file with the department a report of the transfer signed by the transferee. The transferee shall pay a $100 fee that will accompany the report. The fee shall be deposited in the conservation fund. Twenty dollars of the fee or a different amount of the fee as may be established under
subd. 2. shall be credited to the appropriation under
s. 20.370 (1) (cr). The department shall immediately notify each person entitled to notice under
s. 77.82 (8).
77.88(2)(d)2.
2. The department may establish by rule a different amount of each fee under
subd. 1. that will be credited to the appropriation under
s. 20.370 (1) (cr). The amount shall be equal to the average expense to the department of recording an order issued under this subchapter.
77.88(2)(e)
(e) The transferred land shall remain managed forest land if the transferee, within 30 days after the transfer, certifies to the department an intent to comply with the existing management plan for the land and with any amendments to the plan, and provides proof that each person holding any encumbrance on the land agrees to the designation. The transferee may designate an area of the transferred land closed to public access as provided under
s. 77.83. The department shall issue an order continuing the designation of the land as managed forest land under the new ownership.
77.88(2)(f)
(f) If the transferee does not provide the department with the certification required under
par. (e), the department shall issue an order withdrawing the land and shall assess against the transferee the withdrawal tax under
sub. (5) and the withdrawal fee under
sub. (5m). Notwithstanding
s. 77.90, the transferee is not entitled to a hearing on an order withdrawing land under this paragraph.
77.88(3)
(3) Voluntary withdrawal. An owner may request that the department withdraw all or any part of the owner's land meeting one of the requirements specified under
sub. (2) (a) 1. to
3. If any remaining land meets the eligibility requirements under
s. 77.82 (1), the department shall issue an order withdrawing the land subject to the request and shall assess against the owner the withdrawal tax under
sub. (5) and the withdrawal fee under
sub. (5m).
77.88(3m)
(3m) Withdrawal for failure to pay personal property taxes. If an owner of managed forest land has not paid the personal property tax due for a building on managed forest land before the February settlement date under
s. 74.30 (1), the municipality in which the building is located shall certify to the department that a delinquency exists and shall include the legal description of the managed forest land on which the building is located in the certification. Immediately after receiving the certification, the department shall issue an order withdrawing the land as managed forest land and shall assess against the owner of the land the withdrawal tax under
sub. (5) and the withdrawal fee under
sub. (5m). Notwithstanding
s. 77.90, the owner is not entitled to a hearing on an order withdrawing land under this subsection.
77.88(4)
(4) Nonrenewal. If an owner does not file with the department an application to renew a managed forest land order, the department shall order the land withdrawn at the expiration of the order. No withdrawal tax under
sub. (5) or withdrawal fee under
sub. (5m) may be assessed.
77.88(5)
(5) Withdrawal tax. The withdrawal tax shall be determined as follows:
77.88(5)(a)
(a) Except as provided in
pars. (am),
(ar), and
(b), for land withdrawn during a managed forest land order, the withdrawal tax shall be the higher of the following:
77.88(5)(a)1.
1. An amount equal to the past tax liability multiplied by the number of years the land was designated as managed forest land, less any amounts paid by the owner under
ss. 77.84 (2) (a) and
(am) and
77.87.
77.88(5)(am)
(am) For land that is withdrawn within 10 years after the date on which an initial managed forest land order was issued under
s. 77.82 (8) for an application approved under
s. 77.82 (7) (d), the withdrawal tax shall be the higher of the following:
77.88(5)(am)2.
2. The amount calculated under
s. 77.10 (2) that would have applied to the land on the date on which the order was issued for the land under
s. 77.82 (8).
77.88(5)(ar)
(ar) If any land designated as managed forest land under an expanded order is withdrawn before the expiration date of the original order, the withdrawal tax shall be the sum of the following:
77.88(5)(ar)1.
1. For the portion of the land that is designated as managed forest land under the original order, an amount equal to the product of the total net property tax rate in the municipality in the year prior to the year in which the expanded order is approved and the assessed value of the land for the same year, as computed by the department of revenue, multiplied by the number of years under the original order, less any amounts paid by the owner under
ss. 77.84 (2) (a) and
77.87 during the time the land was designated as managed forest land under the original order.
77.88(5)(ar)2.
2. An amount equal to the product of the total net property tax rate in the municipality in the year prior to this withdrawal and the assessed value of the land for the same year, as computed by the department of revenue, multiplied by the number of years the land was designated as land under the expanded order, less any amounts paid by the owner under
ss. 77.84 (2) (am) and
77.87 during the time the land is designated as managed forest land under the expanded order.
77.88(5)(b)
(b) For land withdrawn after the renewal of a managed forest land order, the withdrawal tax shall be the higher of the following:
77.88(5)(b)1.
1. An amount equal to the past tax liability multiplied by the number of years since the renewal, less any amounts paid by the owner under
ss. 77.84 (2) (a) and
(am) and
77.87.
77.88(5)(c)
(c) For purposes of
pars. (a) 1. and
(b) 1., if the parcel of land is located in a single municipality, the past tax liability is an amount equal to the product of the total net property tax rate for that municipality in the year prior to the withdrawal multiplied by the assessed value of the parcel of land for the same year, as computed by the department of revenue. For purposes of
pars. (a) 1. and
(b) 1., if the parcel is located in more than one municipality, the past tax liability is an amount equal to the sum of the products calculated by multiplying the total net property tax rate for each municipality in the year prior to the withdrawal by the corresponding assessed value of the land in that municipality for the same year, as computed by the department of revenue.
77.88(5g)(a)(a) Upon the request of an owner of managed forest land, the department of revenue, with the assistance of the department, shall prepare an estimate of the amount of withdrawal tax that would be assessed under
sub. (5) if the department were to issue an order to withdraw the land under this section.
77.88(5g)(b)
(b) A request from an owner under this subsection shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee payable to the department of revenue of either $100 or the alternative nonrefundable fee calculated under
par. (c), whichever is greater.
77.88(5g)(c)
(c) The alternative nonrefundable fee shall be calculated by multiplying the total number of whole and partial acres by $5.
77.88(6)
(6) Determination of stumpage value. In determining the stumpage value of merchantable timber for purposes of this section, an estimator agreed upon by the parties or, if they cannot agree, a forester appointed by a judge of the circuit court in the county in which the land is located shall estimate the volume of merchantable timber on the land. The estimate obtained shall be final. The department shall determine the current stumpage value of the merchantable timber, based on the applicable stumpage value established under
s. 77.91 (1). The owner shall pay the entire cost of obtaining the estimate.
77.88(7)
(7) Payment; delinquency. Taxes under
sub. (5) and fees under
sub. (5m) are due and payable to the department on the last day of the month following the effective date of the withdrawal order. Amounts received shall be credited to the conservation fund. If the owner of the land fails to pay the tax or fee, the department shall certify to the taxation district clerk the amount due. The taxation district clerk shall enter the delinquent amount on the property tax roll as a special charge.
77.88(8)(a)(a) No withdrawal tax or withdrawal fee may be assessed against an owner who does any of the following:
77.88(8)(a)1.
1. Transfers ownership of managed forest land for a public road or railroad or utility right-of-way.
77.88(8)(a)2.
2. Transfers ownership of managed forest land for a park, recreational trail, wildlife or fish habitat area or a public forest to the federal government, the state or a local governmental unit, as defined in
s. 66.0131 (1) (a).
77.88(8)(a)3.
3. Transfers ownership of or leases not more than 10 acres of managed forest land to a county, city, village, or town for siting a public safety communications tower.
77.88(8)(b)
(b) The department may not order withdrawal of land remaining after a transfer of ownership is made under
par. (a) 1.,
2., or
3. or after a lease is entered into under
par. (a) 3. unless the remainder fails to meet the eligibility requirements under
s. 77.82 (1).
77.88(9)
(9) Order; miscellaneous provisions.
