28.005 Definition. "Department" when used in this chapter without other words of description or qualification means the department of natural resources forestry.

16,1153nxb Section 1153nxb. 28.01 of the statutes is amended to read:

28.01 Forestry supervision. The department shall execute all matters pertaining to forestry within the jurisdiction of the state, direct the management of state forests, other than southern state forests, collect data relative to forest use and conditions and advance the cause of forestry within the state.

16,1153nxc Section 1153nxc. 28.012 (title) of the statutes is created to read:

28.012 (title) Powers of department.

16,1153nxd Section 1153nxd. 28.012 (1) of the statutes is created to read:

28.012 (1) For the state forests, other than southern state forests, the department may accept and administer, in the name of the state, any gifts, grants, bequests, and devises, including land, interests in land and funds made available to the department by the federal government under any act of congress relating to any of the functions of the department.

16,1153nxf Section 1153nxf. 28.012 (2) of the statutes is created to read:

28.012 (2) The department may extend or consolidate lands or waters suitable for the state forests, other than the southern state forests, by the exchange of other lands or waters under its supervision.

16,1153nxg Section 1153nxg. 28.012 (3) of the statutes is created to read:

28.012 (3) The department may accept donations of buildings, facilities, and structures to be constructed upon lands owned by this state in the state forests, other than the southern state forests.

16,1153nxh Section 1153nxh. 28.012 (4) of the statutes is created to read:

28.012 (4) The department may grant easements to parts or parcels of areas in the state forests, other than the southern state forests.

16,1153nxj Section 1153nxj. 28.012 (5) of the statutes is created to read:

28.012 (5) All funds included in the gifts, grants, bequests, and devises received or expected to be received by the department for the state forests under its jurisdiction in a biennium shall be included in the statement of its actual and estimated receipts and disbursements for such biennium required to be contained in the biennial state budget report under s. 16.46. Those funds shall be considered to be, and shall be treated the same as, other actual and estimated receipts and disbursements of the department. The department may acknowledge the receipt of any funding from a particular person or group in any department pamphlet, bulletin, or other publication.

16,1153nxk Section 1153nxk. 28.012 (6) of the statutes is created to read:

28.012 (6) The donor of any building, facility, or structure under sub. (3) may contract for this construction according to plans and specifications provided by the department or may enter into a contract for professional architectural and engineering services to develop plans and specifications for the building, facility, or structure and contract for their construction. Upon the completion of construction satisfactory to the department, title to the building, facility, or structure shall vest in the state. No person may construct any building, facility, or structure under this subsection without the prior approval of the department regarding plans and specifications, materials, suitability, design, capacity, or location. The plans and specifications for any building, structure, or facility donated under sub. (2) (eg) shall also be subject to the approval of the building commission.

16,1153nxp Section 1153nxp. 28.012 (7) of the statutes is created to read:

28.012 (7) Any easements granted under sub. (4) or s. 28.02 (5) and any leases under s. 23.305 or 26.08 by the department shall have the restrictions necessary to preserve and protect the land subject to the lease or easement for the purposes for which it was acquired or made part of the state forests.

16,1153nxq Section 1153nxq. 28.012 (8) of the statutes is created to read:

28.012 (8) (a) In this subsection, "easement" includes a negative easement, a restrictive covenant, a covenant running with the land, and any other right for a lawful use of the property together with the right to acquire all negative easements, restrictive covenants, covenants running with the land, and all rights for use of property.

(b) The department may acquire any easement for the benefit of any area in the state forests, other than southern state forests.

16,1153nxr Section 1153nxr. 28.012 (9) of the statutes is created to read:

28.012 (9) If there are areas of the state forests under the jurisdiction of the department that are inaccessible because they are surrounded by lands not belonging to the state, and if the department determines that the usefulness or value of these areas for these state forests will be increased if there is access to them over lands not belonging to the state, the department may acquire the land necessary to construct highways that will furnish the needed access.

16,1153p Section 1153p. 28.015 of the statutes is created to read:

28.015 Forestry demonstration and education center. The department shall develop a plan to establish a forestry demonstration and education center.

16,1153pc Section 1153pc. 28.02 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

28.02 (title) State forests forest lands.

16,1153pd Section 1153pd. 28.02 (1) of the statutes is amended to read: