Chapter 281

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 s. 281.16 (3), 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 and 281.16 (3).

281.65(5)(e) (e) Identify areas within a priority watershed or priority lake area that are subject to activities required under s. 281.16 (3).

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(5q) (5q) 

281.65(5q)(a) (a) Notwithstanding sub. (5s), neither the department nor the land and water conservation board may extend funding under this section for a priority watershed or priority lake project beyond the funding termination date that was in effect for the priority watershed or priority lake project on January 1, 2001, except as provided in par. (b).

281.65(5q)(b) (b) The department may authorize funding to be provided to a landowner under a priority watershed or priority lake project for up to one year after the funding termination date under par. (a) for that project if the department determines that a delay in implementation of best management practices by the landowner was caused by conditions beyond the control of the landowner.

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) (7) 

281.65(7)(a) (a)

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 percent 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) 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 department in providing a cost-sharing grant under sub. (4e) (a) or by the governmental unit submitting the application under sub. (4c) (a) or (4e) (a) and is approved by the board, except that a cost-sharing grant may not exceed 70 percent of the cost of implementing the best management practice unless par. (gm) applies.

281.65(8)(gm) (gm) The department in providing a cost-sharing grant under sub. (4e) (a) or a governmental unit submitting the application under sub. (4c) (a) or (4e) (a) may exceed the limit under par. (f) in case of economic hardship, as defined by the department by rule. In providing a grant for a project to achieve compliance with a performance standard or prohibition established under s. 281.16 (3) (a), the department shall provide cost-sharing of 70 percent of the cost of compliance or 70 percent to 90 percent of the cost of compliance in case of economic hardship.

281.65(8)(L) (L) A grant may not be made to an individual whose name appears on the statewide support lien docket under s. 49.854 (2) (b), unless the individual provides to the department a payment agreement that has been approved by the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) and that is consistent with rules promulgated under s. 49.858 (2) (a).

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(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.

281.65(9) (9) The department may distribute grants and aids to state agencies, including itself, for administration and implementation of the nonpoint source water pollution abatement program on land under state ownership or control for projects affecting priority lakes or in priority watershed areas. The department may distribute grants and aids to itself for the purchase of easements in priority watershed areas.

281.65(11) (11) Notwithstanding subs. (3) (am) and (3m), the South Fork of the Hay River is a priority watershed for the period ending on June 30, 2005. Notwithstanding subs. (2) (a), (4) (dm), (e), (em) and (g) 4., (4m) (b) 3. and (8) (b) and (e), the department, in consultation with the local units of government involved with the priority watershed project, shall establish guidelines for the types of nonpoint source water pollution abatement practices to be eligible for cost-sharing grants in the watershed. Notwithstanding sub. (8) (f), the amount of a cost-sharing grant in the watershed may be based on the amount of pollution reduction achieved rather than on the cost of the practices installed, using guidelines developed by the department, in consultation with the local units of government involved with the priority watershed project. In providing funding under s. 92.14 (3), the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection shall determine the amount of matching funds required for staff for the priority watershed project as though the funding termination date of June 30, 2005, had been in effect on October 6, 1998. The department and the local governmental staff involved with the priority watershed project shall evaluate the cost effectiveness of the project and the reduction in nonpoint source water pollution associated with the project.

281.65(12) (12) Notwithstanding sub. (8), during fiscal year 2002-03, the department shall make a payment under this section to a landowner who received a notice of discharge under ch. 283, who entered into a cost-share agreement with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection for a grant under s. 92.14 (4) (c), 1997 stats., and who complied with the cost-share agreement but who did not receive the grant under s. 92.14 (4) (c), 1997 stats. The department shall make a payment under this subsection in the amount to which the landowner would have been entitled under the cost-share agreement with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection. The department may not require a landowner to file an application to receive payment under this subsection.

281.65 History History: 1977 c. 418; 1979 c. 34, 221; 1979 c. 355 s. 241; 1981 c. 20; 1981 c. 346 s. 38; 1983 a. 27; 1983 a. 189 s. 329 (16); 1983 a. 416; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 31, 336, 366; 1991 a. 39, 309; 1993 a. 16, 166, 213, 246, 491; 1995 a. 27, 201, 225; 1995 a. 227 s. 428; Stats. 1995 s. 281.65; 1995 a. 404 s. 204; 1997 a. 27, 209, 237; 1999 a. 9; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2001 a. 16, 109; 2003 a. 33; 2007 a. 20; 2009 a. 28; 2013 a. 1; 2017 a. 59.

281.65 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also chs. NR 120 and 151, Wis. adm. code.

281.66 281.66 Urban nonpoint source water pollution abatement and storm water management program.

281.66(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

281.66(1)(a) (a) “Governmental unit” has the meaning given in s. 281.65 (2) (am).

281.66(1)(b) (b) “Nonpoint source” has the meaning given in s. 281.65 (2) (b).

281.66(1)(c) (c) “Population” means population shown by the last federal census or by any subsequent population estimate under s. 16.96.

281.66(1)(d) (d) “Structural urban best management practices” has the meaning given in s. 281.65 (2) (d).

281.66(1)(e) (e) “Urban area” means any of the following:

281.66(1)(e)1. 1. An area with a population of 1,000 or more per square mile.

281.66(1)(e)2. 2. An area in which the land is used for industrial or commercial land uses.

281.66(1)(e)3. 3. An area that is surrounded by an area described in subd. 1. or 2.

281.66(2) (2) Administration. The department shall administer the program under this section in a manner that promotes all of the following:

281.66(2)(a) (a) Management of urban storm water and runoff from existing and developing urban areas to achieve water quality standards, to minimize flooding and to protect groundwater.

281.66(2)(b) (b) Coordination of urban nonpoint source management activities and the municipal storm sewer discharge permit program under s. 283.33.

281.66(2)(c) (c) Implementation of nonpoint source performance standards under s. 281.16 (2).

281.66(3) (3) Eligibility.

281.66(3)(a) (a) The department may provide a cost-sharing grant for a project under this section only if all of the following apply:

281.66(3)(a)1. 1. The project is in an urban area.

281.66(3)(a)2. 2. The governmental unit with jurisdiction over the project area ensures adequate implementation of construction site pollution control, and of storm water management after development, for development and redevelopment of sites of one or more acres.

281.66(3)(a)3. 3. The project is consistent with nonpoint source performance standards under s. 281.16 (2).

281.66(3)(a)4. 4. The project is consistent with priorities identified by the department on a watershed or other geographic basis.

281.66(3)(a)5. 5. The application for the project specifies the watershed, subwatershed or specific site that will be served by the project.

281.66(3)(b) (b) The department may provide financial assistance under this section for a project in a governmental unit either to that governmental unit or to another governmental unit that is required to control storm water discharges under s. 283.33.

281.66(4) (4) Financial assistance.

281.66(4)(a) (a) The department may provide local assistance grants and cost-sharing grants under this section. A local assistance grant or cost-sharing grant may not exceed 50 percent of eligible costs.

281.66(4)(b) (b) The department may award a local assistance grant for any of the following:

281.66(4)(b)1. 1. Storm water management for urban areas and for areas that are expected to become urban areas within 20 years.

281.66(4)(b)2. 2. Informational and educational activities related to nonpoint source water pollution control, construction site erosion control or storm water management.

281.66(4)(b)3. 3. Development, administration and enforcement of a construction site erosion control or storm water management ordinance.

281.66(4)(b)4. 4. Training of staff concerning nonpoint source water pollution control, construction site erosion control or storm water management.

281.66(4)(b)5. 5. Other activities identified by the department by rule.

281.66(4)(c) (c) The department may award a cost-sharing grant for any of the following types of projects:

281.66(4)(c)1. 1. Structural urban best management practices, including necessary land acquisition, storm sewer rerouting and removal of structures, and associated flood management, except that the department may not award a grant for structural urban best management practices associated with new construction or new development.

281.66(4)(c)2. 2. Stream bank or shoreland stabilization necessary to control pollution.

281.66(4)(c)3. 3. Other nonpoint source water pollution abatement or storm water management practices identified by the department by rule.

281.66(5) (5) Scoring system. The department shall use a scoring system for ranking nonpoint source water pollution abatement and storm water management projects for which applications are submitted under this section. The criteria on which the scoring system is based shall include all of the following:

281.66(5)(a) (a) The extent to which the application proposes to use the cost-effective and appropriate practices to achieve water quality goals.

281.66(5)(b) (b) 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).

281.66(5)(c) (c) The extent to which the project will result in the attainment of established water quality objectives.

281.66(5)(d) (d) The local interest in and commitment to the project.

281.66(5)(e) (e) The inclusion of a strategy to evaluate the progress toward reaching project goals, including the monitoring of water quality improvements resulting from project activities.