Fish, wildlife, and parks program operations
The bill creates an appropriation, from moneys in the conservation fund that DNR receives from forestry activities, for the operation of fish, wildlife, and parks programs.
Endangered resources funding match
Under current law, DNR administers the endangered resources program, which includes improving habitats for endangered or threatened species, conducting the natural heritage inventory, conducting wildlife research and surveys, providing wildlife management services, and providing for wildlife damage control. Current law appropriates from the general fund to DNR an amount equal to the amount of gifts, grants, and bequests received for the program and any additional payments designated for the program by an individual filing an income tax return, not to exceed $500,000 in a fiscal year. The bill increases the limit to $950,000.
Forestry
Managed forest land fees
Under current law, DNR administers the managed forest land (MFL) program, under which the owner of a parcel of land designated as MFL makes an annual acreage share payment in lieu of property taxes. In exchange, the owner must comply with certain forestry practices and, subject to exceptions, must open the land to the public for recreational activities. Certain actions relating to a parcel designated as MFL must be recorded by the appropriate register of deeds and DNR must pay any required fee for the recording.
Under current law, MFL may be transferred from one owner to another with payment of a $100 fee, which is deposited in the conservation fund. Of that amount, $20 is credited to a DNR appropriation for the payment of register of deed fees. Land may also be withdrawn from the MFL program with payment of a $300 fee.
Under the bill, $100 transfer fees and $300 withdrawal fees are deposited in the conservation fund and credited to the DNR appropriation for the payment of fees to the registers of deeds.
Wildfire suppression reimbursement
Under current law, DNR administers the fire suppression aids program, which provides grants to counties, cities, villages, towns, and fire suppression organizations to assist with the cost of training and supplies for fire suppression. The bill appropriates to DNR, from the conservation fund, a sum sufficient to reimburse local fire departments under the program.
Forestry-industry-wide strategic plan
The bill requires DNR to develop a forestry-industry-wide strategic plan and road map and to submit a final report on this plan to the Council on Forestry no later than September 16, 2026.
Transfer from forestry account to transportation fund
The bill transfers $25,000,000 from the forestry account of the conservation fund to the transportation fund.
Transfer to forestry account
The bill modifies the amount of GPR to be transferred to the conservation fund for forestry purposes. Under current law, an amount equal to 0.1697 mills for each dollar of equalized property value in the state is transferred. The bill modifies the amount of the transfer to 0.1406 mills for each dollar of equalized property value in the state. Current law requires funds transferred in this manner to be used for acquiring, preserving, and developing the forests of the state and for various other purposes related to forestry.
Navigable waters
Great Lakes and Mississippi River erosion control revolving loan programs
The bill requires DNR to administer revolving loan programs to assist municipalities and owners of homes located on the shore of Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, or the Mississippi River where the structural integrity of municipal buildings or homes is threatened by erosion of the shoreline. Under the bill, moneys for the programs are provided from the environmental fund, the segregated fund used to finance environmental management programs administered by DNR and pollution abatement programs administered by DNR and DATCP. The bill requires DNR to promulgate rules to administer the programs, including eligibility requirements and income limitations, and authorizes DNR to promulgate emergency rules for the period before permanent rules take effect.
Bonding for dam safety projects
Under current law, the state may contract up to $39,500,000 in public debt to provide financial assistance to counties, cities, villages, towns, and public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts for dam safety projects. The bill increases the bonding authority for these projects by $15,000,000.
Recreation
Outdoor skills training program
The bill changes which appropriation from the conservation fund pays for an outdoor skills training program. Under current law, the UW System must enter into an agreement with an established national organization that provides training to persons who are interested in learning about the outdoor skills needed by women to hunt, fish, camp, canoe, and undertake other outdoor recreational activities in order to provide that type of training to interested persons.
Free admission to state parks for fourth graders
Under current law, no person may operate a vehicle in any state park or in certain other recreational areas on state land unless the vehicle displays a vehicle admission receipt. The bill requires DNR to waive the fee for an annual vehicle admission receipt issued to the parent or guardian of a pupil receiving a fourth grade level of instruction. A parent or guardian of a qualifying pupil may apply to DNR for the waiver by submitting required certifications. A parent or guardian may receive the waiver only once in his or her lifetime and DNR may issue a waiver only once for a household.
State park admission and camping fee waivers for tribal members
The bill requires DNR to waive the fee for an annual vehicle admission receipt issued to a member of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band located in this state. Under current law generally, no person may operate a vehicle in any state park or in certain other recreational areas on state land unless the vehicle displays a vehicle admission receipt.
The bill also requires DNR to waive the camping fee for a member of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band located in this state. Under current law generally, no person may camp in a state campground unless the applicable camping fee is paid.
Interpretive programs in state forests
Current law provides that all moneys received from fees charged for admission to educational and interpretive programs in state parks are appropriated for the costs associated with those programs. The bill adds moneys received from fees charged for admission to those programs in state forests to this appropriation, to be used for the costs associated with those programs.
Kenosha Dunes restoration funding
The bill appropriates moneys from the general fund to DNR for erosion control projects in the Kenosha Dunes unit of the Chiwaukee Prairie state natural area in Kenosha County.
Credit card fee recovery
The bill provides that DNR may collect a credit card handling fee to cover credit card transaction costs incurred in collecting fees for vehicle admission receipt and camping fees that are paid for by using a credit card. The bill requires DNR to promulgate rules establishing the amount of the fee, which may not be more than the amount necessary to cover the costs of using a credit card for fee payment.
General natural resources
Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship 2000 Program
The bill reauthorizes the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship 2000 Program (stewardship program) until 2036 and makes various changes to the program.
Current law authorizes the state to incur public debt for certain conservation activities under the stewardship program, which is administered by DNR. The state may incur this debt to acquire land for the state for conservation purposes and for property development activities and may award grants or state aid to certain local governmental units and nonprofit conservation organizations (NCOs) to acquire land for these purposes. Current law establishes the amounts that DNR may obligate in each fiscal year through fiscal year 2025–26 for expenditure under each of five subprograms of the stewardship program.
The bill increases the total amount that may be obligated for the stewardship program from $33,250,000 each fiscal year to $83,000,000 each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2026–27 and ending with fiscal year 2035–36.
Moneys obligated under the stewardship program are appropriated from the capital improvement fund (CIF) and stewardship bond proceeds are deposited into CIF. Current law provides that, in obligating moneys under the subprogram for land acquisition, DNR must set aside certain amounts to be obligated only for DNR to acquire land and to provide grants to counties for land acquisition (county forest grants). Specifically, the set-aside for DNR land acquisition each fiscal year is $1,000,000 plus the amount transferred to CIF under an appropriation that transfers from moneys received for forestry activities (the forestry account) to CIF $5,000,000 in each fiscal year. The set-aside for county forest grants is equal to the amount transferred to CIF under an appropriation that transfers from the forestry account to CIF $3,000,000 in each fiscal year. The bill ends these annual transfers from the forestry account to CIF beginning in fiscal year 2026–27 and replaces the corresponding set-aside requirements under the land acquisition subprogram with appropriations that directly fund those purposes from the conservation fund, not the stewardship program. Specifically, the bill appropriates $6,000,000 each fiscal year from the conservation fund for DNR land acquisitions and $3,000,000 each fiscal year from the forestry account for county forest grants. The $6,000,000 that the bill appropriates directly each fiscal year for DNR land acquisitions is $1,000,000 more than the amount currently transferred to CIF and set aside for this purpose, and in addition the bill continues to provide a $1,000,000 set-aside for this purpose under the land acquisition subprogram of the stewardship program. The bill provides that any amount in CIF remaining from the amounts transferred from the forestry account in fiscal years 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26 is transferred back to the forestry account in fiscal year 2026–27.
The bill eliminates a current law provision that states that, of the amount set aside under the land acquisition subprogram for DNR to acquire land, DNR may not use more than one-third to acquire land in fee simple. In addition, the bill eliminates a provision requiring DNR to use at least two appraisals to determine the current fair market value of land that is the subject of a stewardship funding for an NCO or governmental unit if DNR estimates the fair market value of the land to exceed $350,000. The bill increases from $7,000,000 to $14,000,000 the amount under the land acquisition subprogram that must be set aside for grants to nonprofit conservation organizations each fiscal year.
The bill renames the property development and local assistance subprogram to be the “state property development and local parks and recreation subprogram,” and increases from $14,250,000 to $51,500,000 the amount in each fiscal year that may be obligated under the subprogram. Of that amount, the bill increases from $5,000,000 to $15,450,000 the amount that DNR must obligate for property development each fiscal year and increases from $9,250,000 to $36,050,000 the amount that DNR must obligate for local assistance each fiscal year.
The bill increases from $500,000 to $2,500,000 the amount that DNR is required to set aside each fiscal year, from the amounts obligated for property development, for grants to friends groups and NCOs for property development activities on DNR properties. The bill also increases from $20,000 to $50,000 the maximum amount that DNR may encumber per DNR property for these grants in each fiscal year.
The bill creates a motorized recreation grant program funded from stewardship moneys, under which DNR may award a grant to a county, city, village, town, or recreational vehicle club either to acquire land for the purpose of establishing an all-terrain vehicle trail, off-highway motorcycle trail, or snowmobile trail (treated as obligated from the land acquisition subprogram) or to construct a trail crossing for an all-terrain vehicle trail, off-highway motorcycle trail, or snowmobile trail as part of an interchange project (treated as obligated from the state property development and local parks and recreation subprogram). The bill requires DNR to allocate $5,000,000 in each fiscal year for these grants.
The bill renames the recreational boating aids subprogram to be the “local recreation boat facilities subprogram” and increases from $3,000,000 to $9,000,000 the amount in each fiscal year that DNR may obligate under the subprogram. The bill eliminates DNR’s authority under current law to use funds, whether stewardship or other funds, for recreational boating project feasibility studies. The bill changes one of the factors that DNR must consider in establishing priorities for projects from “projects underway” to “projects in a state of readiness.”
The bill creates two new programs and funds them with appropriations from the general fund. Specifically, the bill creates a grant program for nonprofit conservation organizations to support wildlife and habitat management, and a tribal co-management program under which DNR must coordinate with the federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands domiciled in this state in the management of education infrastructure, land management activities, and other activities on DNR land.
Nonprofit conservation organization grants
Under current law, DNR is authorized to provide grants to nonprofit conservation organizations for a variety of conservation purposes, including acquisition of property, encouraging land management activities that enhance the state’s natural resources, and providing technical assistance.
The bill creates an appropriation to DNR from the general fund for the purpose of providing grants to nonprofit conservation organizations and requires DNR to award grants in the 2025–26 fiscal year to the following organizations: 1) Gathering Waters, 2) the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, 3) River Alliance of Wisconsin, and 4) Wisconsin Lakes.
Building demolition
The bill creates a continuing appropriation from the general fund to DNR for the demolition of buildings on DNR-owned property.
Wild rice stewardship
The bill appropriates to DNR from the general fund moneys for wild rice stewardship efforts within the waters of areas where American Indian tribes or bands hold treaty-based rights to harvest wild rice. The bill provides that not less than $50,000 of the amounts appropriated for each fiscal year must be allocated for public education and outreach pertaining to wild rice harvesting.
Off-highway motorcycle sales tax collection
Under current law, 1 percent of sales and use taxes on all-terrain vehicles, utility terrain vehicles, boats, and snowmobiles are deposited in the segregated conservation fund. The bill provides that 1 percent of sales and use taxes on off-highway motorcycles are deposited in the conservation fund and credited to the DNR appropriation for off-highway motorcycle administration.
Funding from Indian gaming receipts
Current law and Indian gaming compacts require DOA to transfer portions of Indian gaming receipts to certain DNR appropriations annually. At the end of each fiscal year, unobligated funds from programs that receive tribal gaming revenues revert to the appropriation account to which Indian gaming receipts are credited.
The bill eliminates the requirement to transfer these amounts to an appropriation that funds snowmobile law enforcement operations and safety training and fatality reporting and eliminates that appropriation. The bill also creates a new appropriation to DNR for providing grants to federally recognized American Indian tribes or bands for maintenance and repair of fish hatcheries operated by the tribe or band.
Under current law, DNR makes a payment to the Lac du Flambeau band of Lake Superior Chippewa based on the amount of fees collected by DNR for certain hunting and fishing approvals and the number of certain approvals issued within the the Lac du Flambeau reservation. DNR makes this payment from an appropriation that receives tribal gaming revenues. The bill provides that this appropriation is subject to the same reversion requirement as other gaming receipts transfers to DNR.
PUBLIC UTILITIES
Funding for broadband expansion grant program
The bill appropriates GPR funding for the broadband expansion grant program administered by PSC.
Focus on Energy funding
The bill makes changes to the funding of statewide energy efficiency and renewable resources programs, known as Focus on Energy, that current law requires investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities to fund. Under the bill, PSC must require those utilities to spend 2.4 percent of their annual operating revenues derived from retail sales to fund Focus on Energy and related programs. Under current law, the amount those utilities must spend is 1.2 percent of their annual operating revenues from retail sales.
Focus on Energy residential customer energy storage
The bill includes residential energy storage system programs and programs for reducing energy demand in the Focus on Energy program.
Energy innovation grant program
The bill appropriates GPR for the energy innovation grant program (EIGP), which is administered by PSC’s Office of Energy Innovation and awards grants for projects related to energy efficiency and innovation. Currently, the EIGP is funded with federal money from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Residential and commercial energy improvements
The bill allows PSC to authorize a public utility to finance energy improvements at a specific dwelling for a residential or commercial customer. Under the bill, a public utility may recover the costs of such an energy improvement through a surcharge periodically placed on the customer’s account. The bill requires PSC to promulgate rules establishing requirements for this financing, which must include that the surcharge is assigned to a location, not to an individual customer; that energy improvements are eligible for financing only if they are estimated to save an amount that exceeds the surcharge; and that the financing offered may not increase a customer’s risk or debt.
Deadline for a certificate of public convenience and necessity
Current law generally prohibits a person from commencing construction of certain large electric generating facilities or high-voltage transmission lines without obtaining a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) from PSC. After a person files a complete application for a CPCN, PSC must take final action on the application within 180 days, or else PSC is considered to have issued a CPCN to the applicant. However, current law also allows the PSC chairperson to extend that deadline for no more than an additional 180 days. If PSC fails to take final action within the extended deadline, PSC is considered to have issued the CPCN. The bill authorizes the PSC chairperson to make two such 180-day extensions instead of just one.
Brownfield renewable energy generation grants
Under the bill, PSC makes grants to developers and electric providers for redeveloping brownfields for renewable energy generation. The grants may be used only for remediating brownfields, developing renewable energy infrastructure on brownfields, and technical support.
Nuclear energy feasibility study
The bill requires PSC to conduct a nuclear power plant feasibility study and creates an appropriation to fund the study.
Electric utility integrated resource plans
The bill requires investor-owned and municipal electric utilities to file integrated resource plans with PSC. An integrated resource plan must describe the resources an electric utility could use to meet the service needs of its customers over the next 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year periods and must contain certain other information, including forecasts of electricity demand under various reasonable scenarios and plans and projected costs for meeting that electricity demand. PSC must establish requirements for the contents and filing of the plans, and PSC must approve, reject, or modify an electric utility’s integrated resource plan consistent with the public interest. The bill also requires PSC to review the integrated resource plans filed by electric utilities to inform its biennial strategic energy assessment. Under current law, the strategic energy assessment evaluates the adequacy and reliability of the state’s current and future energy supply.
Securitization of retiring power plants
Under current law, an energy utility is allowed to apply to PSC for an order allowing the utility to finance the costs of the following activities by issuing bonds: 1) the construction, installation, or otherwise putting into place of environmental control equipment in connection with a plant that, before March 30, 2004, has been used to provide service to customers and 2) the retiring of any existing plant, facility, or other property to reduce, control, or eliminate environmental pollution in accordance with federal or state law. Current law defines these activities as “environmental control activities.” If approved by PSC, the bonds, which are referred to as “environmental trust bonds,” are secured by revenues arising from charges paid by an energy utility’s customers for the utility to recover the cost of the activities, as well as the cost of financing the bonds.
The bill adds the retiring of any existing electric generating facility fueled by nonrenewable combustible energy resources as an environmental control activity, the costs of which may be financed by an environmental trust bond.
Remove size limit on grants for lead service line replacement
The bill allows water public utilities to make grants that cover the full cost of replacing lead-containing customer-side water service lines. Under current law, water public utilities may, after applying to and receiving approval from PSC, make grants and loans to property owners to assist replacement of customer-side water service lines containing lead. Current law prohibits PSC from approving a water public utility’s application to provide these grants unless grants are limited to no more than one-half of the total cost of replacing lead-containing customer-side water service lines.
REAL ESTATE
Real estate condition reports
Under current law, with certain exceptions, an owner selling residential real property or vacant land must give a prospective buyer a form, known as a real estate condition report for residential real property and known as the vacant land disclosure report for vacant land (real estate condition report), on which the owner discloses certain conditions of, and other information about, the real property of which the owner is aware. Currently, as part of the real estate condition report, a seller must disclose whether the applicable real estate is located in a floodplain. The bill requires the real estate condition report to include a link to a DNR website for more information about flood insurance. Current law also requires a seller of residential real estate to indicate whether any insurance claims related to damage to the premises have been filed in the past five years. The bill adds the same provision to the vacant land disclosure report. Additionally, the bill adds to both real estate condition reports language that specifies that the disclosure related to insurance claims includes insurance claims for damage caused by a flood. Lastly, the bill adds to the real estate condition report a disclosure related to claims for financial support, other than insurance claims, for damage to the property caused by a flood. Under current law and the bill, the real estate condition report includes a provision under which the prospective buyer acknowledges that that technical knowledge such as that acquired by professional inspectors may be required to detect certain defects, including “floodplain status.”
Landlord notification requirements
