23.0916(3)(a)(a) All acquisitions. Except as provided in par. (b) and sub. (4) and ss. 29.089, 29.091, 29.301 (1) (b), and 29.621 (4), the department shall permit public access for nature-based outdoor activities by others on land that is acquired by the department in fee simple or is an easement acquired by the department on former managed forest land.

23.0916(3)(b) (b) Authority to prohibit access; earlier acquisitions; trails. The department may prohibit public access on land or an easement subject to par. (a) for one or more nature-based outdoor activities if the natural resources board determines that it is necessary to do so to protect public safety, protect a unique animal or plant community, or accommodate usership patterns, as defined by rule by the department. This paragraph applies to all acquisitions of land in fee simple and easements on former managed forest land that occur on former managed forest land before July 1, 2011, and to the acquisition of easements on former managed forest land for state trails and the ice age trail that occur on or after July 1, 2011.

23.0916(3)(c) (c) Authority to prohibit access; later acquisitions. The department may prohibit public access on land or an easement subject to par. (a) for one or more nature-based outdoor activities only if the natural resources board determines that it is necessary to do so to protect public safety or to protect a unique animal or plant community. This paragraph applies to acquisitions of land in fee simple and easements on former managed forest land for purposes other than for state trails and the ice age trail that occur on or after July 1, 2011.

23.0916(3m) (3m) Board determinations.

23.0916(3m)(a)(a) Except as provided in par. (b), a determination by the natural resources board under sub. (2) (b) or (c) or (3) (b) or (c) with regard to public access on land or an easement requires 4 or more members of the natural resources board to concur in that determination if the land or easement was acquired on or after April 17, 2012.

23.0916(3m)(b) (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to a determination by the natural resources board with regard to public access on an easement, if the primary purpose of the easement is to provide public access to a navigable water on which public fishing is allowed.

23.0916(4) (4) Fish and game refuges. The department or an owner of land that is in a fish or game refuge and that is subject to sub. (2) (a) or (am) or (3) (a) may prohibit hunting, fishing, or trapping, or any combination thereof.

23.0916(5) (5) Rules. The natural resources board, by rule, shall develop all of the following:

23.0916(5)(a) (a) Provisions relating to public access for nature-based outdoor activities for all lands other than those subject to sub. (2) (a) or (am) or (3) (a) that are acquired in whole or in part with funding from the stewardship programs under ss. 23.0915 and 23.0917.

23.0916(6) (6) Reporting requirement. The department shall prepare a biennial report that identifies all land subject to this section that has been acquired during the preceding fiscal biennium and upon which public access for any nature-based outdoor activity is prohibited. For each acquisition, the report shall specify for which of these nature-based outdoor activities public access is prohibited and shall include the reason for the prohibition. The department shall submit the report to the joint committee on finance and to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature in the manner provided under s. 13.172 (3). The department shall submit the report no later than November 15 for the preceding fiscal biennium and shall submit the first biennial report no later than November 15, 2009.

23.09165(1)(1) Definitions. In this section:

23.09165(2) (2) Land mapping and directory.

23.09165(2)(ac)(ac) Within 48 months after October 27, 2007, the department shall establish and maintain an interactive mapping tool at the department's Web site that identifies all stewardship land that is open for public access. Public access to the mapping tool at the Web site shall be available without charge.

23.09165(2)(bc) (bc) Within 24 months after December 21, 2011, the department shall make available to the public a written directory of all stewardship land that is open for public access. The directory shall be organized by county and town and shall clearly show the location of the stewardship land and named or numbered roads. The directory shall be updated at least every 2 years. In lieu of the department itself making available the written directory, the department may make available a written directory that is published by a private entity and that meets the requirements of this paragraph. The department may charge a fee for either directory, but the fee may not exceed the cost of preparing and publishing the directory.

23.09165(3) (3) Notice of access to stewardship land.

23.09165(3)(a)(a) An owner of stewardship land acquired on or after October 27, 2007, shall, within 6 months after the disbursement of the stewardship program funds, provide notice of public access to the stewardship land by the placement of signs adequate to give notice. The owner of stewardship land acquired before October 27, 2007, shall provide notice of public access to the stewardship land by the placement of signs adequate to give notice within 48 months after October 27, 2007. The area of each sign shall be at least 108 square inches, and each sign shall be made of a durable substance. The signs shall be placed at major access points to the stewardship land.

23.09165(3)(b) (b) If the stewardship land that is acquired on or after October 27, 2007, is surrounded by department land, the department shall, within 6 months after the disbursement of stewardship program funds, provide notice of public access to the stewardship land by the placement of signs adequate to give notice at the major access points to the department land. If the stewardship land that is acquired before October 27, 2007, is surrounded by department land, the department shall provide notice of public access to the stewardship land by the placement of signs adequate to give notice at the major access points to the department land within 48 months after October 27, 2007. The area of each sign shall be at least 108 square inches, and each sign shall be made of a durable substance.

23.09165(3)(c) (c) The signs required under pars. (a) and (b) shall list either the primary activities that are restricted or prohibited on the stewardship land or the primary activities that are permitted on the stewardship land. The signs shall include either the name of the owner of the stewardship land or a person to contact regarding the stewardship land. Signs shall also be placed at the specified major access points that give notice that the stewardship land was acquired in whole or in part using stewardship program funds. The department may specify the amount of detail that is required on the signs to assure that the signs provide sufficient and useful information.

23.09165(3)(d) (d) If the stewardship land described under par. (a) or (b) has a cumulative acreage of 10 acres or more, the signs under par. (a) or (b) shall also include one of the following: