Chapter 91

91.66(1) (1) The department may terminate a farmland preservation agreement or release land from a farmland preservation agreement at any time if all of the following apply:

91.66(1)(a) (a) All of the owners of land covered by the farmland preservation agreement consent to the termination or release, in writing.

91.66(1)(b) (b) The department finds that the termination or release will not impair or limit agricultural use of other protected farmland.

91.66(1)(c) (c) The owners of the land pay to the department, for each acre or portion thereof released from the farmland preservation agreement, a conversion fee equal to 3 times the per acre value, for the year in which the farmland preservation agreement is terminated or the land is released, of the highest value category of tillable cropland in the city, village, or town in which the land is located, as specified by the department of revenue under s. 73.03 (2a).

91.66(1m) (1m) All conversion fees received under sub. (1) (c) shall be deposited in the working lands fund.

91.66(2) (2) The department shall provide a copy of its decision to terminate a farmland preservation agreement or release land from a farmland preservation agreement to a person designated by the owners of the land and shall present a copy of the decision to the register of deeds for the county in which the land is located for recording.

91.66 History History: 2009 a. 28.

91.68 91.68 Violations of farmland preservation agreements.

91.68(1) (1) The department may bring an action in circuit court to do any of the following:

91.68(1)(a) (a) Enforce a farmland preservation agreement.

91.68(1)(b) (b) Restrain, by temporary or permanent injunction, a change in land use that violates a farmland preservation agreement.

91.68(1)(c) (c) Seek a civil forfeiture for a change in land use that violates a farmland preservation agreement.

91.68(2) (2) A forfeiture under sub. (1) (c) may not exceed twice the fair market value of the land covered by the agreement at the time of the violation.

91.68 History History: 2009 a. 28.

91.70 91.70 Farmland preservation agreements; exemption from special assessments.

91.70(1) (1) Except as provided in sub. (3), no political subdivision, special purpose district, or other local governmental entity may levy a special assessment for sanitary sewers or water against land in agricultural use, if the land is covered by a farmland preservation agreement.

91.70(2) (2) A political subdivision, special purpose district or other local governmental entity may deny the use of improvements for which the special assessment is levied to land that is exempt from the assessment under sub. (1).

91.70(3) (3) The exemption under sub. (1) does not apply to an assessment that an owner voluntarily pays, after the assessing authority provides notice of the exemption under sub. (1).

91.70 History History: 2009 a. 28.

subch. V of ch. 91 SUBCHAPTER V

SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION

91.80 91.80 Soil and water conservation by persons claiming tax credits. An owner claiming farmland preservation tax credits under s. 71.613 shall comply with applicable land and water conservation standards promulgated by the department under ss. 92.05 (3) (c) and (k), 92.14 (8), and 281.16 (3) (b) and (c).

91.80 History History: 2009 a. 28.

91.82 91.82 Compliance monitoring.

91.82(1) (1) County responsibility.

91.82(1)(a) (a) A county land conservation committee shall monitor compliance with s. 91.80.

91.82(1)(b) (b) For the purpose of par. (a), a county land conservation committee shall inspect each farm for which the owner claims farmland preservation tax credits under subch. IX of ch. 71 at least once every 4 years.

91.82(1)(c) (c) For the purpose of par. (a), a county land conservation committee may do any of the following:

91.82(1)(c)1. 1. Inspect land that is covered by a farmland preservation agreement or farmland preservation zoning and that is in agricultural use.

91.82(1)(c)2. 2. Require an owner to certify, not more than annually, that the owner complies with s. 91.80.

91.82(1)(d) (d) At least once every 4 years, the department shall review each county land conservation committee’s compliance with par. (b).

91.82(2) (2) Notice of noncompliance.

91.82(2)(a) (a) A county land conservation committee shall issue a written notice of noncompliance to an owner if the committee finds that the owner has done any of the following:

91.82(2)(a)1. 1. Failed to comply with s. 91.80.

91.82(2)(a)2. 2. Failed to permit a reasonable inspection under sub. (1) (c) 1.

91.82(2)(a)3. 3. Failed to certify compliance as required under sub. (1) (c) 2.

91.82(2)(b) (b) A county land conservation committee shall provide to the department of revenue a copy of each notice of noncompliance issued under par. (a).

91.82(2)(c) (c) If a county land conservation committee determines that an owner has corrected the failure described in a notice of noncompliance under par. (a), it shall withdraw the notice of noncompliance and notify the owner and the department of revenue of the withdrawal.

91.82(3) (3) Procedure. The department may promulgate rules prescribing procedures for the administration of this section by land conservation committees.

91.82 History History: 2009 a. 28.

subch. VI of ch. 91 SUBCHAPTER VI

AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE AREAS

91.84 91.84 Agricultural enterprise areas; general.

91.84(1) (1) Designation.

91.84(1)(a) (a)

91.84(1)(a)1. 1. The department may by order designate agricultural enterprise areas targeted for agricultural preservation and development.

91.84(1)(a)2. 2. The department may by order modify or terminate the designation of an agricultural enterprise area.

91.84(1)(b) (b) The department may designate agricultural enterprise areas with a combined area of not more than 2,000,000 acres of land.

91.84(1)(e) (e) The department may not designate an area as an agricultural enterprise area unless all of the following apply:

91.84(1)(e)1. 1. The department receives a petition requesting the designation and the petition complies with s. 91.86.

91.84(1)(e)3. 3. The parcels in the area are contiguous. Parcels that are only separated by a lake, stream, or transportation or utility right-of-way are contiguous for the purposes of this subdivision.

91.84(1)(e)4. 4. The area is located entirely in a farmland preservation area identified in a certified farmland preservation plan.

91.84(1)(e)5. 5. The land in the area is primarily in agricultural use.

91.84(1)(f) (f) In designating agricultural areas under this subsection, the department shall give preference to areas that include at least 1,000 acres of land.

91.84(1m) (1m) Publication of order. The department shall publish a notice of an order designating, modifying, or terminating an agricultural enterprise area, including a general description of the towns affected by the order, in the official state newspaper.

91.84(2m) (2m) Effectiveness of prior designations. A rule designating an agricultural enterprise area under s. 91.84 (2), 2009 stats., remains in effect until December 31, 2012.

91.84(3) (3) Effect of designation. The designation of an area under sub. (1) allows owners of eligible land within the area to enter into farmland preservation agreements with the department. If the department modifies or terminates the designation of an area under sub. (1) and that modification or termination results in land covered by a farmland preservation agreement no longer being located in a designated area, the farmland preservation agreement remains in effect for the remainder of its term, but the department may not extend or renew the farmland preservation agreement.

91.84(4) (4) Map. In an order designating an agricultural enterprise area, the department shall include a map that clearly shows the boundaries of the proposed agricultural enterprise area so that a reader can easily determine whether a parcel of land is located within the agricultural enterprise area. The department shall make the map available on its Internet site.

91.84(5) (5) Effective date of orders. The designation of an agricultural enterprise area takes effect on January 1 of the calendar year following the year in which the order designating the area is published, unless the order specifies a later effective date. An order modifying or terminating the designation of an agricultural enterprise area takes effect upon publication under sub. (1m).

91.84 History History: 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 253; 2013 a. 352.

91.86 91.86 Agricultural enterprise area; petition.

91.86(1) (1) Definition. In this section, “eligible farm” means a farm that produced at least $6,000 in gross farm revenues during the taxable year preceding the year in which a petition is filed requesting the department to designate an area in which the farm is located as an agricultural enterprise area or a total of at least $18,000 in gross farm revenues during the 3 taxable years preceding the year in which a petition is filed.

91.86(2) (2) Petitioners.

91.86(2)(a) (a) The department may consider a petition requesting that it designate an area as an agricultural enterprise area if all of the following jointly file the petition:

91.86(2)(a)1. 1. Each political subdivision in which any part of the proposed agricultural enterprise area is located.

91.86(2)(a)2. 2. Owners of at least 5 eligible farms located in the area.

91.86(2)(b) (b) Each petitioner under par. (a) who is an individual shall sign the petition. For a petitioner that is not an individual, an authorized officer or representative shall sign the petition.

91.86(3) (3) Contents of petition.

91.86(3)(a) (a) The department may not approve a petition requesting that it designate an area as an agricultural enterprise area unless the petition contains all of the following:

91.86(3)(a)1. 1. The correct legal name and principal address of each petitioner.

91.86(3)(a)2. 2. A summary of the petition that includes the purpose and rationale for the petition.

91.86(3)(a)3. 3. A map that clearly shows the boundaries of the proposed agricultural enterprise area so that a reader can easily determine whether a parcel of land is located within the proposed area.

91.86(3)(a)4. 4. Information showing that the proposed agricultural enterprise area meets the requirements under s. 91.84 (1) (e).

91.86(3)(a)5. 5. A clear description of current land uses in the proposed agricultural enterprise area, including current agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses, transportation, utility, energy, and communication uses, and undeveloped natural resource and open space uses.

91.86(3)(a)6. 6. A clear description of the agricultural land use and development goals for the proposed agricultural enterprise area, including proposed agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses, and relevant transportation, utility, energy, and communication uses.

91.86(3)(a)7. 7. A plan for achieving the goals under subd. 6., including any planned investments, grants, development incentives, cooperative agreements, land or easement purchases, land donations, and promotion and public outreach activities.

91.86(3)(a)8. 8. A description of any current or proposed land use controls in the proposed agricultural enterprise area, including farmland preservation agreements.

91.86(3)(b) (b) Petitioners under sub. (2) may include in the petition the names and addresses of other persons who propose to cooperate in achieving the goals under par. (a) 6.

91.86 History History: 2009 a. 28, 276.