NR 47.75(6)(a)
(a) Other than as provided in par.
(c), a county may apply for a sustainable forestry grant under this section for the purposes described in sub.
(4). The application shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following:
NR 47.75(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 sustainable forestry grant.
NR 47.75(6)(a)2.
2. The project description including: maps, an estimated cost breakdown and a short narrative to be signed and approved by the county forest administrator and the department liaison forester.
NR 47.75(6)(a)3.
3. Other information the department feels necessary and requests within 20 days following receipt of the application.
NR 47.75(6)(b)
(b) Grant applications shall be for a minimum of $1000.00 with a maximum not to exceed 25% of the total available funds in any one year. Applications shall be filed by the county with the department's division of forestry.
NR 47.75 Note
Note: The mailing address is WI DNR, Division of Forestry, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921 Attn: County Forest Specialist.
NR 47.75(6)(c)
(c) A county is ineligible to apply if any of the following occur:
NR 47.75(6)(c)1.
1. Current management or internal policy is in opposition to the county forest land use plan.
NR 47.75(6)(c)2.
2. Previous unexpended funds from this grant program are owed the department as described in sub.
(9) (e).
NR 47.75(6)(c)3.
3. A county fails to comply within 3 years to department forestry audit recommendations.
NR 47.75(7)(a)(a) Grants shall be awarded on a fiscal year basis and applications shall be accepted during the application periods in this section as follows:
NR 47.75(7)(a)1.
1. The first application period shall be from July 1 to August 15. Decisions on those applications shall be made no later than the following September 15 in accordance with par.
(b).
NR 47.75(7)(a)2.
2. The second application period shall be from August 16 to December 1. Decisions on these applications shall be made in accordance with par.
(b) no later than January 1.
NR 47.75(7)(a)3.
3. All other applications received from December 2 to June 30 shall be approved on a first-come, first-serve basis.
NR 47.75(7)(b)
(b) In selecting projects for grants under this section, the department shall give priority to eligible projects as follows:
NR 47.75(7)(b)1.b.
b. Hiring of temporary staff to address short-term workload items identified in sub.
(4).
NR 47.75(7)(c)
(c) Within a preference category, projects in counties that have received grants the most recently shall be given lowest priority.
NR 47.75(7)(d)
(d) If, after ranking a project in accordance with pars.
(a) and
(b), full funding is not available due to insufficient funds to provide grants applied for in the first 2 application periods, the department shall offer the applicants the choice of receiving pro-rated funding for the project up to the amount of available funding or withdrawal of the application.
NR 47.75(7)(e)
(e) No less than 25% of the annual funds shall be kept available for appropriation during the second application period.
NR 47.75(7)(f)
(f) 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 47.75(7)(g)
(g) No county may have more than 2 open projects at any one time.
NR 47.75(8)(a)
(a) Payment of all grants shall be made at project completion unless an advance payment has been made by the department.
NR 47.75(8)(b)
(b) An advance payment of not more than 50% of the grant amount may be paid upon mutual agreement of the county and the department.
NR 47.75(8)(c)
(c) The county shall submit information requested by and satisfactory to the department demonstrating project completion.
NR 47.75 Note
Note: The mailing address is WI. DNR, Division of Forestry, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921 Attn: County Forest Specialist.
NR 47.75(8)(d)
(d) A county may apply more than once in any given calendar year although no county will receive a second grant until all pending initial projects from other counties that meet the criteria in sub.
(4) are funded.
NR 47.75(8)(e)
(e) An individual county may not be awarded grants totaling more than 25% of total available funds in one fiscal year.
NR 47.75(9)
(9)
Project completion accountability and audit procedures. NR 47.75(9)(a)(a) Grant funds may be spent only on project identified costs.
NR 47.75(9)(b)
(b) All grant funds received from the department shall be deposited in the county state aid forestry account.
NR 47.75(9)(c)
(c) All grant records shall be audited with the normal departmental audit of the county forest program.
NR 47.75(9)(d)
(d) An approved project may not exceed 2 years in length unless written approval is obtained from the department.
NR 47.75(9)(e)
(e) Any grant funds not spent on project identified costs or not used by the termination date of the project shall be returned to the department. Failure to return the funds shall render a county ineligible for any future grants under this section.
NR 47.75 History
History: CR 01-146: cr.
Register May 2002 No. 557, eff. 6-1-02.
NR 47.80
NR 47.80 Purpose and scope. The
purpose
of this subchapter
is to establish procedures
and
standards
for the ad
ministration
of
the private
forest
landowner
grant
program as authorized
under s.
26.38, Stats.,
and to distribute
other
available
stat
e, federal,
and nonprofit
organization
funds
for the
purpose
of encouraging
private
forest
landowners
to
manage their lands
in a
manner
that benefits
the state's
forest
and
related
resources
and
the people
of the state.
NR 47.81
NR 47.81 Applicability. This subchapter is applicable to private, non-industrial forest landowners applying for or receiving grants under this subchapter.
NR 47.81 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1999, No. 519, eff. 4-1-99.
NR 47.82
NR 47.82 Definitions. In addition to definitions in s.
NR 47.002, the following definitions apply to this subchapter:
NR 47.82(1)
(1) “Afforestation" means establishing a forest on land not previously forested due to past land use, e.g., agricultural use.
NR 47.82(2)
(2) “Landowner forest stewardship plan" means the plan prescribing forest stewardship measures to be used on a particular site to achieve multiple natural resource goals.
NR 47.82(2m)
(2m) “Nonprofit
organization"
means
an organization
described
in section
501(c)(3) to (7) of the internal
reven
ue
code
and is exe
mpt
from federal
inco
me
tax under
section
501(a) of the internal revenue code.
NR 47.82(3m)
(3m) “Practice" means a stewardship activity or conservation measure consistent with the landowner forest stewardship plan to accomplish the landowner's desired management objectives.
NR 47.82(4)
(4) “Progra
m"
means
the private
forest
landowner
grant
program
authorized
under s.
26.38, Stats.
NR 47.82(5)
(5) “Reforestation" means establishing a forest on lands that were previously forested but where cover has been lost due to recent harvesting, land conversions, natural disasters or other destructive agents.
NR 47.82(6)
(6) “Riparian area" means the area or zone adjacent to a navigable stream or other body of water.
NR 47.82(7)
(7) “Wetlands" means an area where water is at, near or above the land surface long enough to be capable of supporting aquatic or hydrophytic vegetation and which has soils indicative of wet conditions.
NR 47.82 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1999, No. 519, eff. 4-1-99;
CR 12-029: cr. (2m), am. (4)
Register June 2013 No. 690, eff. 7-1-13.
NR 47.83
NR 47.83 Program administration. The
depart
ment
shall
ad
minister
the progra
m,
within the
guidance
provided
by
the
authorizing
statute.
Additional
guidance
may
accompa
ny
federal funding,
nonprofit
organization
funding
and
state
funding
other
than
that provided
through s.
20.370 (5) (av), Stats.
NR 47.84(1)(a)
(a) All nonindustrial private forest lands that meet the program requirements as herein stated are eligible for assistance under the program.
NR 47.84(1)(b)
(b) The owner of any nonindustrial private forest land which consists of at least 10 contiguous acres and not more than 500 acres of non-industrial private forest land in the state may apply for a grant under this subchapter.
NR 47.84(1)(c)
(c) Eligibility
for federal
funding
or nonprofit
organization
funding
may
be defined
in the grant
agreement
through
which the funding
is provided.
Further,
additional eligibili
ty
criteria
may
acco
mpany
state
funding
other
than
that provided
through s.
20.370 (5) (av), Stats.
NR 47.84(1m)
(1m)
Ineligible applicants. The
following
applicants
shall be ineligible
for a grant awarded
under
this subchapter:
NR 47.84(1m)(a)
(a) An owner who did not receive
any
p
ayment
under s.
NR 47.87 for a grant awarded under
this subchapter
which
ended
within the 24
months
prior
to the
date
the
application
was sub
mitted,
unless
the owner
ended
that
grant
within
12
months
of the award.
NR 47.84(2)(a)(a) Plan development. Landowner forest stewardship plan development which identifies landowner objectives and multiple resource management decisions. The plan shall meet the following minimum standards:
NR 47.84(2)(a)4.
4. Map or aerial photograph showing the property with stands delineated and uniquely labeled.
NR 47.84(2)(a)5.
5. Property overview, i.e., general location, major forest types, general landforms, relevant description of the landscape, etc. Also include discussion of any known threatened or endangered species. (Usually one paragraph).
NR 47.84(2)(a)6.
6. General discussion of landowner goals and the expected effects of achieving these goals on the soil and water, wildlife, recreation/aesthetics, timber and other natural resources. This may be included either as a separate item or as part of the stand recommendations.
NR 47.84(2)(a)7.
7. Stand descriptions and recommendations including: Unique stand identification keyed to the map: vegetation cover type; size class; size (acres); soil characteristics and erodibility (may be covered in a general paragraph if the description is applicable to the whole property); stand objective and its relationship to the landowner goals for the property; recommendations and a short discussion of the effects of such actions on the soil and water, wildlife, recreation/aesthetics and timber resources. Discussion of the effects is not necessary on a stand-by-stand basis if covered in the general discussion.
NR 47.84(2)(a)8.
8. Activity schedule showing all stands and approximate year of recommended actions for a 5-year period. Include all stands, even if no action is recommended.
NR 47.84(2)(a)9.
9. Contain practices that protect and enhance soil and water quality; threatened, rare or endangered species or communities; sustainable forestry; habitat for fish and wildlife; and the recreational, aesthetic and environmental benefits that the forest land provides.
NR 47.84(2)(b)
(b) Practices. The following practices are eligible for grants under this subchapter if the land is subject to a department approved forest stewardship landowner management plan. However, additional restrictions on eligible practices may accompany funding for this program other than that provided through s.
20.370 (5) (av), Stats.
NR 47.84 Note
Note: All practices will strongly encourage the use of native plant and animal species where practical.
NR 47.84(2)(b)1.
1. Reforestation and afforestation which includes establishment or reestablishment of diverse stands of native forest trees through natural regeneration, planting or direct seeding for conservation purposes and sustainable timber production.
NR 47.84(2)(b)2.
2. Forest improvement which includes practices to increase tree growth, tree quality, biological diversity, tree vigor and forest health.
NR 47.84(2)(b)3.
3. Soil and water protection and improvement which includes the maintenance or improvement of water quality and soil productivity, and the reduction of erosion on forest and related land.
NR 47.84(2)(b)4.
4. Wetland
and riparian
protection
and i
mprove
ment
which includes
the
manage
ment,
protection,
and
i
mprove
ment
of wetlands
and riparian
areas
to
maintain
water quali
ty,
protect
and i
mprove
wetlands
and riparian
areas,
reduce
sedi
mentation,
and
enhance
or i
mprove
habitat
for fish or wildlife
species.
NR 47.84(2)(b)5.
5. Terrestrial
wildlife
and habitat
enhance
ment
which
includes
the
establish
ment,
manage
ment,
and
enhance
ment
of per
manent
habitat
for ga
me
and
non-ga
me
wildlife
species.
NR 47.84(2)(b)7.
7. Endangered,
threatened,
or rare
natural
resource
protection,
manage
ment,
restoration, and enhance
ment
targeted
at threatened
or endangered
species
habitat
maintenance
or enhance
ment
and
manage
ment
of significant
natural
com
munities
or rare
n
ative
vegetation.
NR 47.84 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1999, No. 519, eff. 4-1-99;
CR 02-074: cr. (1) (c), am. (2) (b)
Register November 2002 No. 563, eff. 12-1-02;
CR 12-029: am. (1) (c), cr. (1m), r. and recr. (2) (b) 4. to 7., r. (2) (b) 8.
Register June 2013 No. 690, eff. 7-1-13.
NR 47.85(1)(a)(a) Grants under the program shall be used to prepare management plans or manage the following lands under an approved landowner forest stewardship plan:
