NR 47.60(5)(a)(a) Project loans shall be awarded annually on a fiscal year basis and applications shall be accepted during the application periods in this section. The first application period shall be from July 1 to August 15. Decisions on those applications shall be made in accordance with sub. (6) no later than the following September 15. NR 47.60(5)(b)(b) The second application period shall be from August 16 to December 1. Decisions on those applications shall be made no later than the following January 1. NR 47.60(5)(c)(c) Notwithstanding sub. (6), all other applications received from December 2 to June 30 shall be approved on a first-come, first-serve basis. NR 47.60(5)(d)(d) A county may apply more than once in any given calendar year. NR 47.60(6)(a)2.2. Second preference: Land management activities including but not limited to: NR 47.60(6)(a)2.e.e. Release from competing vegetation (conifers or hardwoods both artificially or naturally regenerated). NR 47.60(6)(a)2.f.f. Land management equipment including tree planters, scarifier and other management equipment. NR 47.60(6)(a)3.3. Third preference: Land information activities including but not limited to: NR 47.60(6)(a)3.b.b. Geographic information systems including computer hardware, software and digitizing of forest management information; NR 47.60(6)(a)4.4. Fourth preference: Capital purchases/improvements including but not limited to: NR 47.60(6)(b)(b) Within a preference category, projects shall be prioritized in ascending order, with projects in counties that have most recently received project loans given lowest priority and projects in counties that have not received loans previously given highest priority. NR 47.60(6)(c)(c) For applications in the same preference category except as provided under par. (b), preference shall be selected by lottery. NR 47.60(6)(d)(d) If after ranking a project loan application in accordance with pars. (b) and (c) only partial funding is available due to insufficient funds, the department shall offer the applicant the choice of receiving partial funding for the project up to the amount of available funding or withdrawing the application. NR 47.60(7)(7) Approved project modifications. Project loans may be modified regarding the type of activities to be funded and the date and type of loan disbursements with written approval from the department. Requests for an increase in the loan amount shall be accompanied by a county board resolution authorizing the request. NR 47.60(8)(a)(a) Payment of all loans shall be made at project completion unless an advance payment has been made by the department. NR 47.60(8)(b)(b) An advance payment of not more than 75% of the loan amount may be paid upon mutual agreement of the applicant and department. NR 47.60(8)(c)(c) The recipient shall submit information requested by and satisfactory to the department demonstrating project completion. NR 47.60(8)(d)(d) A loan may be approved with payments in 2 consecutive fiscal years as long as the payment in each year does not exceed 25% of the total available funds for the year, except funding may exceed the 25% limit by applying all funds not applied for and remaining available following April 15 of each year not to exceed the application total. NR 47.60 NoteNote: A loan in the amount of $100,000 each year is approved even though the application was for $200,000 each year. If after April 15 the account balance is $100,000, that money would be sent to fulfill that year of application amount.
NR 47.60(9)(9) Project completion accountability and audit procedures. NR 47.60(9)(a)(a) Project loan funds may be spent only on project identified costs and in compliance with the provisions of the loan agreement. NR 47.60(9)(b)(b) All loan records shall be audited with the normal departmental audit of the county forest program. NR 47.60(9)(c)(c) An approved project may not exceed 2 years in length unless written approval is obtained from the department. NR 47.60(10)(10) Project agreement. Recipients of project loans under this section shall enter into and comply with a project loan agreement containing provisions consistent with s. 28.11 (8) (b) 2., Stats., this section and mutual obligations with regard to a portion or all of a specific project. NR 47.60 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, August, 1995, No. 476, eff. 9-1-95. NR 47.65NR 47.65 County forest times standards grant program. NR 47.65(1)(1) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish standards and procedures for implementation of a grant program to contribute funds towards accomplishing sustainable forestry practices which have been identified through the county forest time standards calculation for county forests, pursuant to the authority under s. 28.11 (5r) (b), Stats. NR 47.65(2)(2) Applicability. This section is applicable to those counties that have land entered under s. 28.11 (4), Stats., as county forest and which apply for an adjustment from the calculated level of technical forestry assistance provided by the department’s division of forestry as established under the county forest time standards calculation. NR 47.65(3)(a)(a) “Comprehensive county forest land use plan” means the document governing management of the county forest which has been approved by the county board and the department, under s. 28.11 (5), Stats. NR 47.65(3)(b)(b) “County” means a county that has entered county-owned land under the county forest law, in ss. 28.10 and 28.11, Stats. NR 47.65(3)(c)(c) “County forest time standards” means to the agreement between the department and a county that quantifies the amount of technical forestry assistance the department provides to the county to fulfill s. 28.11 (5) and (6), Stats., responsibilities. NR 47.65(3)(d)(d) “Fiscal year” means the time period commencing on July 1 and ending on June 30. NR 47.65(3)(g)(g) “Technical forestry assistance” means department staff time provided to assist a county in accomplishing the activities described in the county forest time standards and consistent with a county’s comprehensive county forest land use plan. NR 47.65(4)(4) Eligible projects. To be eligible for a time standards grant, projects must meet all of the following requirements: NR 47.65(4)(a)(a) Projects shall promote sustainable forestry on the county forest. Projects may include any of the activities identified through the county forest time standards which are not solely the responsibility of department. NR 47.65(4)(b)(b) Projects shall be consistent with a county’s comprehensive county forest land use plan under s. 28.11 (5) (a), Stats. NR 47.65(5)(5) Ineligible projects. Projects that are not eligible for a time standards grant include, but are not limited to: NR 47.65(5)(c)(c) Upgrade or replacement of existing computer software and hardware. NR 47.65(6)(a)(a) Other than as provided in par. (c), a county may apply for a time standards grant under this section for the project purposes described in sub. (4). The application shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following: NR 47.65(6)(a)1.1. Documentation of approval by county forestry committee as identified in s. 28.11 (3) (a), Stats., specifying the county’s decision to apply for a time standards grant. NR 47.65(6)(a)2.2. The project description including an estimated cost breakdown and a short narrative describing the proposed work to be accomplished and how it directly relates to the calculated time standard activities, to be signed and approved by the county forest administrator. NR 47.65(6)(a)3.3. The amount of grant funding requested to accomplish the proposed work and the corresponding reduction in technical forestry assistance as described in sub. (7) (e). NR 47.65(6)(a)4.4. Other information the department feels necessary and requests within 30 days following receipt of the application. NR 47.65(6)(b)(b) Grant applications shall be for a minimum of $1,000.00 with a maximum not to exceed the equivalent of 25% of a county’s calculated county forest time standard. Applications shall be filed by the county with the department’s division of forestry. NR 47.65 NoteNote: The mailing address is WI DNR, Division of Forestry, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921 Attn: County Forest Specialist.
NR 47.65(6)(c)(c) A county is ineligible to apply if any of the following occur: NR 47.65(6)(c)1.1. Management or internal county policy is in opposition to the comprehensive county forest land use plan, under s. 28.11 (5), Stats. NR 47.65(6)(c)2.2. Previous unexpended funds from the grant program under this section are owed the department as described in sub. (8) (d). NR 47.65(6)(c)3.3. A county fails to comply within 3 years to department forestry audit recommendations. NR 47.65(6)(d)(d) Applications shall be for a 4-year period, set in conjunction with the state biennial budget covering a period of 4 state fiscal years, 2 state budgets. NR 47.65(6)(e)(e) Grant applications shall be accepted during the period from October 1 to December 31 in every other odd numbered year. Grant awards for those applications shall be made no later than July 31 of the subsequent odd-numbered year. NR 47.65 NoteNote: For example, applications shall be accepted from October 1 – December 31, 2013 for funding during state fiscal years 2016-2019. Grant awards shall be made no later than July 31, 2015. Application years: 2013, 2017, 2021, 2025, 2029, etc.
NR 47.65(6)(f)(f) Funding amounts requested in grant applications shall be considered final once submitted. NR 47.65(6)(g)(g) Applications may be submitted and grants awarded at other times if resources are available and circumstances are warranted, as determined by the department. NR 47.65 NoteNote: For example, department vacancies.
NR 47.65(7)(7) Grant award procedure, funding rates and constraints. NR 47.65(7)(a)(a) Payment of all grants shall be made by September 30 of the first year of the biennium. The grant covers a 4-year period, consequently the grant amount requested shall be split equally between the 2 state budget biennium. Funding in the second biennium is subject to inclusion of adequate funding in the state budget for that period. NR 47.65(7)(b)(b) A grant under this section may be awarded to a county to contribute to the funding of a subcontractor for the purposes described in sub. (4). NR 47.65(7)(c)(c) The county shall submit information requested by and satisfactory to the department demonstrating project completion by January 31st following each biennium. NR 47.65 NoteNote: For example, project accomplishment reports for the fiscal year 2016 & 2017 biennium are due by January 31, 2018. Accomplishment reporting years: 2018, 2020, 2022, etc. The mailing address is WI DNR, Division of Forestry, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921 Attn: County Forest Specialist.
NR 47.65(7)(d)(d) Funding rates shall be based on eligible applications received by the department and total available funding for each of the biennial budget periods. In determining funding, all of the following shall apply: NR 47.65(7)(d)1.1. Total eligible funding shall be based upon an appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (bw), Stats., while reserving an amount of funds agreed to biannually by the department and a nonprofit organization that provides leadership and counsel to county forest administrators and that functions as an organizational liaison to the department as identified in s. 28.11 (5m) (am), Stats., to address projected sustainable forestry grant project needs under s. NR 47.75 and funds to cover projected county forest administration grant needs under s. NR 47.70, based on the previous year’s eligible administration grant requests plus a projected five percent annual growth of administration grant requests. NR 47.65(7)(d)2.2. If full funding is not available due to insufficient funds to provide grants applied for, the department shall offer the applicants the choice of receiving prorated funding for the project up to the amount of available funding described in subd. 1, or withdrawal of the application. NR 47.65(7)(e)(e) The calculated rate for conversion of technical forestry assistance to time standards grant funding shall be calculated by adding the average department forester hourly cost, factored at 75% of the calculated average, and the average department forestry technician hourly cost, factored at 25% of the calculated average, based on actual salary, fringe, and supply rates for the fiscal year proceeding the application period. NR 47.65(8)(8) Project completion accountability and audit procedures. NR 47.65(8)(a)(a) Grant funds may be spent only on eligible activities as described in sub. (4). NR 47.65(8)(b)(b) All grant funds received from the department shall be deposited in the county state aid forestry account. NR 47.65(8)(c)(c) All grant records shall be audited with the normal departmental audit of the county forest program. NR 47.65(8)(d)(d) Any grant funds not spent on eligible costs by January 31st of the year in which reporting is required under sub. (7) (c) shall be returned to the department. Failure to return the funds shall render a county ineligible for any future grants under this section.
