Chapter 91

91.01(5) (5) “Base farm tract” means one of the following:

91.01(5)(a) (a) All land, whether one parcel or 2 or more contiguous parcels, that is in a farmland preservation zoning district and that is part of a single farm on the date that the department under s. 91.36 (1) first certifies the farmland preservation zoning ordinance covering the land or on an earlier date specified in the farmland preservation zoning ordinance, regardless of any subsequent changes in the size of the farm.

91.01(5)(b) (b) Any other tract that the department by rule defines as a base farm tract.

91.01(6) (6) “Certified farmland preservation plan” means a farmland preservation plan that is certified as determined under s. 91.12.

91.01(7) (7) “Certified farmland preservation zoning ordinance” means a zoning ordinance that is certified as determined under s. 91.32.

91.01(8) (8) “Chief elected official” means the mayor of a city or, if the city is organized under subch. I of ch. 64, the president of the council of that city, the village president of a village, the town board chairperson of a town, or the county executive of a county, or, if the county does not have a county executive, the chairperson of the county board of supervisors.

91.01(9) (9) “Comprehensive plan” has the meaning given in s. 66.1001 (1) (a).

91.01(10) (10) “Conditional use” means a use allowed under a conditional use permit, special exception, or other special zoning permission issued by a political subdivision.

91.01(11) (11) “County land conservation committee” means a committee created under s. 92.06 (1).

91.01(12) (12) “Department” means the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection.

91.01(13) (13) “Farm” means all land under common ownership that is primarily devoted to agricultural use.

91.01(14) (14) “Farm acreage” means size of a farm in acres.

91.01(15) (15) “Farmland preservation agreement” means any of the following agreements between an owner of land and the department under which the owner agrees to restrict the use of land in return for tax credits:

91.01(15)(a) (a) A farmland preservation agreement or transition area agreement entered into under s. 91.13, 2007 stats., or s. 91.14, 2007 stats.

91.01(15)(b) (b) An agreement entered into under s. 91.60 (1).

91.01(16) (16) “Farmland preservation area” means an area that is planned primarily for agricultural use or agriculture-related use, or both, and that is one of the following:

91.01(16)(a) (a) Identified as an agricultural preservation area or transition area in a farmland preservation plan described in s. 91.12 (1).

91.01(16)(b) (b) Identified under s. 91.10 (1) (d) in a farmland preservation plan described in s. 91.12 (2).

91.01(17) (17) “Farmland preservation plan” means a plan for the preservation of farmland in a county, including an agricultural preservation plan under subch. IV of ch. 91, 2007 stats.

91.01(18) (18) “Farmland preservation zoning district” means any of the following:

91.01(18)(a) (a) An area zoned for exclusive agricultural use under an ordinance described in s. 91.32 (1).

91.01(18)(b) (b) A farmland preservation zoning district designated under s. 91.38 (1) (c) in an ordinance described in s. 91.32 (2).

91.01(19) (19) “Farm residence” means any of the following structures that is located on a farm:

91.01(19)(a) (a) A single-family or duplex residence that is the only residential structure on the farm or is occupied by any of the following:

91.01(19)(a)1. 1. An owner or operator of the farm.

91.01(19)(a)2. 2. A parent or child of an owner or operator of the farm.

91.01(19)(a)3. 3. An individual who earns more than 50 percent of his or her gross income from the farm.

91.01(19)(b) (b) A migrant labor camp that is certified under s. 103.92.

91.01(20) (20) “Gross farm revenues” has the meaning given in s. 71.613 (1) (g).

91.01(20m) (20m) “Livestock” means bovine animals, equine animals, goats, poultry, sheep, swine, farm-raised deer, farm-raised game birds, camelids, ratites, and farm-raised fish.

91.01(21) (21) “Nonfarm residence” means a single-family or multi-family residence other than a farm residence.

91.01(22) (22) “Nonfarm residential acreage” means the total number of acres of all parcels on which nonfarm residences are located.

91.01(22m) (22m) “Overlay district” means a zoning district that is superimposed on one or more other zoning districts and imposes additional restrictions on the underlying districts.

91.01(23) (23) “Owner” means a person who has an ownership interest in land.

91.01(23m) (23m) “Permitted use” means a use that is allowed without a conditional use permit, special exception, or other special zoning permission.

91.01(24) (24) “Political subdivision” means a city, village, town, or county.

91.01(25) (25) “Prime farmland” means any of the following:

91.01(25)(a) (a) An area with a class I or class II land capability classification as identified by the natural resources conservation service of the federal department of agriculture.

91.01(25)(b) (b) Land, other than land described in par. (a), that is identified as prime farmland in a certified farmland preservation plan.

91.01(26) (26) “Prior nonconforming use” means a land use that does not conform with a farmland preservation zoning ordinance, but that existed lawfully before the farmland preservation zoning ordinance was enacted.

91.01(27) (27) “Protected farmland” means land that is located in a farmland preservation zoning district, is covered by a farmland preservation agreement, or is otherwise legally protected from nonagricultural development.

91.01(28) (28) “Taxable year” has the meaning given in s. 71.01 (12).

91.01 History History: 2009 a. 28.

91.01 Annotation Wisconsin’s Working Lands: Securing Our Future. Matson. Wis. Law. Dec. 2009.

91.02 91.02 Rule making.

91.02(1) (1) The department shall promulgate rules that set forth technical specifications for farmland preservation zoning maps under s. 91.38 (1) (d).

91.02(2) (2) The department may promulgate rules for the administration of this chapter, including rules that do any of the following:

91.02(2)(a) (a) Identify accessory uses under s. 91.01 (1) (e).

91.02(2)(b) (b) Identify agricultural uses under s. 91.01 (2) (b).

91.02(2)(c) (c) Identify agriculture-related uses under s. 91.01 (3) (b).

91.02(2)(d) (d) Identify base farm tracts under s. 91.01 (5) (b).

91.02(2)(e) (e) Specify requirements for certification under s. 91.18 (1) (b).

91.02(2)(f) (f) Require information in an application for certification of a farmland preservation plan or amendment under s. 91.20 (4).

91.02(2)(g) (g) Specify types of ordinance amendments for which certification is required under s. 91.36 (8) (b) 3.

91.02(2)(h) (h) Specify exceptions to the requirement that land in a farmland preservation zoning district be included in a farmland preservation area under s. 91.38 (1) (g).

91.02(2)(i) (i) Specify requirements for certification of a farmland preservation zoning ordinance under s. 91.38 (1) (i).

91.02(2)(j) (j) Require information in an application for certification of a farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment under s. 91.40 (5).

91.02(2)(k) (k) Authorize additional uses in a farmland preservation zoning district under s. 91.42 (4).

91.02(2)(L) (L) Authorize additional uses as permitted uses in a farmland preservation zoning district under s. 91.44 (1) (g).

91.02(2)(m) (m) Authorize additional uses as conditional uses in a farmland preservation zoning district under s. 91.46 (1) (j).

91.02(2)(p) (p) Require information in an application for a farmland preservation agreement under s. 91.64 (2) (h).

91.02(2)(r) (r) Prescribe procedures for compliance monitoring under s. 91.82 (3).

91.02 History History: 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 253.

91.03 91.03 Intergovernmental cooperation. State agencies shall cooperate with the department in the administration of this chapter and in other matters related to the preservation of farmland in this state. State agencies shall, to the extent feasible, cooperate in sharing and standardizing relevant information, identifying and mapping significant agricultural resources, and planning and evaluating the impact of state actions on agriculture.

91.03 History History: 2009 a. 28.

91.04 91.04 Department to report. At least once every 2 years, beginning not later than December 31, 2011, the department shall submit a farmland preservation report to the joint committee on finance, the standing committees of the legislature with jurisdiction over agriculture under s. 13.172 (3), and the board of agriculture, trade and consumer protection and provide copies of the report to the department of revenue and the department of administration. The department shall prepare the report in cooperation with the department of revenue and shall include all of the following in the report:

91.04(1) (1) A review and analysis of farmland availability, uses, and use trends in this state, including information related to farmland conversion statewide and by county.

91.04(2) (2) A review and analysis of relevant information related to the farmland preservation program under this chapter and associated tax credit claims under subch. IX of ch. 71, including information related to all of the following:

91.04(2)(a) (a) Participation in the program by political subdivisions and landowners.

91.04(2)(b) (b) Tax credit claims by landowners, including the number of claimants, the amount of credits claimed, acreage covered by tax credit claims, the amount of credits claimed under zoning ordinances and under farmland preservation agreements, and relevant projections and trends.

91.04(2)(bm) (bm) The amount of the tax credits per qualifying acre, and the recommendations of the department for the tax credit amounts.

91.04(2)(c) (c) The number, identity, and location of counties with certified farmland preservation plans.

91.04(2)(d) (d) Trends and developments related to certification of farmland preservation plans.

91.04(2)(e) (e) The number, identity, and location of political subdivisions with certified farmland preservation zoning ordinances.

91.04(2)(f) (f) Trends and developments related to certification of farmland preservation zoning ordinances.

91.04(2)(g) (g) The number, nature, and location of agricultural enterprise areas.

91.04(2)(h) (h) The number and location of farms covered by farmland preservation agreements, including new farmland preservation agreements, and the number and location of farms for which farmland preservation agreements have expired.

91.04(2)(i) (i) Conservation compliance by landowners under s. 91.80 and compliance activities by county land conservation committees under s. 91.82.

91.04(2)(j) (j) Rezoning of land out of farmland preservation zoning districts under s. 91.48.

91.04(2)(k) (k) Program costs, cost trends, and cost projections.

91.04(2)(L) (L) Key issues related to program performance and key recommendations, if any, for enhancing the program.

91.04 History History: 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 32; 2023 a. 42.

subch. II of ch. 91 SUBCHAPTER II

FARMLAND PRESERVATION PLANNING

91.10 91.10 County plan required; planning grants.

91.10(1) (1) By January 1, 2016, a county shall adopt a farmland preservation plan that does all of the following:

91.10(1)(a) (a) States the county’s policy related to farmland preservation and agricultural development, including the development of enterprises related to agriculture.

91.10(1)(b) (b) Identifies, describes, and documents other development trends, plans, or needs, that may affect farmland preservation and agricultural development in the county, including trends, plans, or needs related to population and economic growth, housing, transportation, utilities, communications, business development, community facilities and services, energy, waste management, municipal expansion, and environmental preservation.

91.10(1)(c) (c) Identifies, describes, and documents all of the following: