Chapter 23

23.17(2) (2) Designation. The ice age national scenic trail, as provided for in 16 USC 1244 (a) (10), plus the lands adjacent to each side of that trail designated by the department, is designated a state scenic trail, to be known as the “Ice Age Trail”.

23.17(3) (3) Duties of the department. The department shall:

23.17(3)(a) (a) Encourage other state agencies, municipalities, organizations and individuals to participate in planning, establishing, developing and maintaining the ice age trail.

23.17(3)(b) (b) Provide information to any person involved in planning, establishing, developing or maintaining the ice age trail regarding trail design, signs, interpretive markers and any other aspects of the ice age trail in which uniformity is desirable.

23.17(3)(c) (c) Encourage municipalities to develop land use plans which preserve rights-of-way for future establishment of the ice age trail.

23.17(3)(d) (d) Prepare a trail management plan and plan for interpretive markers for the ice age trail, in cooperation with the national park service, federal department of the interior.

23.17(3)(e) (e) Coordinate the activities of all state agencies which own property that includes any existing or planned portion of the ice age trail and maintain regular contact with such agencies.

23.17(3)(f) (f) Identify portions of the ice age trail which are proposed to be located on state-owned property, especially highway rights-of-way, and contact state agencies which own such property as soon as possible so that adequate plans for the location of the trail on state property may be developed and the trail location may be altered if the use of state property proves to be impossible.

23.17(3)(g) (g) Coordinate its planning efforts relating to the location, development and maintenance of the ice age trail with the efforts of the national park service, federal department of the interior and any statewide nonprofit organization established for the purpose of planning, developing and maintaining the ice age trail.

23.17(4) (4) Powers of the department. The department may acquire land for the ice age trail under s. 23.09 (2) (d) 10., and may develop the ice age trail on lands under its ownership along the trail route.

23.17(4m) (4m) Chippewa County interpretive center designation. The interpretive center in the Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area in Chippewa County is designated the David R. Obey Ice Age Trail Interpretive Center.

23.17(5) (5) State land.

23.17(5)(a) (a) A state agency may not refuse to permit construction of a portion of the ice age trail on property owned by the state agency if the state agency determines that the trail does not conflict with other existing or proposed uses of the property.

23.17(5)(b) (b) Each state agency shall consider the ice age trail in the long-range plans for property owned by the state agency.

23.17(5g) (5g) Permitted uses. The construction on or use of land designated by the department as part of the ice age trail under this section and s. 23.293 is a permitted use under any zoning ordinance enacted by a municipality.

23.17(5r) (5r) Municipal land. A municipality may not refuse to permit construction of a portion of the ice age trail on property owned by the municipality if the municipality determines that the trail does not conflict with other existing or proposed uses of the property.

23.17(6) (6) Other trails.

23.17(6)(a) (a) This section does not limit the authority of the department to designate other trails under s. 23.115.

23.17(6)(b) (b) This section does not preclude any portion of the ice age trail from being designated as a part of the national trails system.

23.17 History History: 1987 a. 98, 399; 1991 a. 39; 2011 a. 32.

23.173 23.173 Richard A. Grobschmidt Memorial Bridge.

23.173(1) (1) The department shall designate and, subject to sub. (2), mark the bridge on the Hank Aaron State Trail across the Lakeshore State Park Inlet at the north end of Lakeshore State Park in the city of Milwaukee as the “Richard A. Grobschmidt Memorial Bridge.”

23.173(2) (2) Upon receipt of sufficient contributions from interested parties, including any county, city, village, or town, to cover the costs of erecting and maintaining markers along the route specified in sub. (1) to clearly identify the designation of the route as the “Richard A. Grobschmidt Memorial Bridge,” the department shall erect and maintain the markers. No state funds, other than from the receipt of contributions under this subsection, may be expended for the erection or maintenance of the markers.

23.173 History History: 2017 a. 84.

23.175 23.175 State trails.

23.175(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

23.175(1)(a) (a) “Political subdivision” means a city, village, town or county.

23.175(1)(b) (b) “State agency” means any office, department, agency, institution of higher education, association, society or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law which is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including any authority created under subch. II of ch. 114 or ch. 231, 233, 234, or 237 but not including the legislature or the courts.

23.175(2) (2) Duties of the department. The department shall:

23.175(2)(a) (a) Designate a system of state trails as part of the state park system. The state trail system may also include water trails. The state trail system shall be named the “Aldo Leopold Legacy Trail System.”

23.175(2)(b) (b) Encourage other state agencies, political subdivisions, organizations and individuals to participate in planning, establishing, developing and maintaining state trails.

23.175(2)(c) (c) Seek the advice of and consult with the state trails council regarding the planning, acquisition, development and management of state trails.

23.175(2)(d) (d) Provide information to any person involved in planning, establishing, developing or maintaining state trails regarding trail design, signs and any other aspects of the trails in which uniformity is desirable.

23.175(2)(e) (e) Encourage political subdivisions to develop land use plans that preserve rights-of-way for the future establishment of trails.

23.175(2)(f) (f) Prepare a trail management plan.

23.175(2)(g) (g) Coordinate the activities of all state agencies that own property that includes any existing or planned portion of a state trail and maintain regular contact with those state agencies.

23.175(2)(h) (h) Identify portions of state trails that are proposed to be located on property owned by state agencies.

23.175(2)(i) (i) Coordinate its planning efforts relating to the location, establishment, development and maintenance of state trails with the efforts of statewide, nonprofit organizations established for the purpose of planning, establishing, developing and maintaining trails.

23.175(2)(j) (j) Establish priorities for trail acquisition and development with a higher priority for trails that establish connections between existing trails.

23.175(2)(k) (k) Establish the state trail cleanup program under sub. (5m).

23.175(3) (3) Powers of the department. The department may:

23.175(3)(a) (a) Develop and construct state trails on lands under its ownership.

23.175(3)(b) (b) Expend an amount from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) or (tz) or both that equals any of the following:

23.175(3)(b)1. 1. The amount of a gift, grant or bequest received for a state trail under this section.

23.175(3)(b)2. 2. The fair market value of land donated for a state trail under this section.

23.175(3m) (3m) Allocation between appropriations. For purposes of sub. (3) (b), the department shall determine how the moneys being expended are to be allocated from the appropriations under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) and (tz). The department may not allocate or expend any moneys from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) before July 1, 2000.

23.175(4) (4) Limit on spending. Except as provided in s. 23.0915 (2), the department may not expend from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (tz) more than $1,000,000 under this section for trails and for grants for this purpose under s. 23.096 in each fiscal year.

23.175(4m) (4m) Priority for brownfields. In awarding grants for trails under s. 23.096, the department shall give higher priority for projects related to brownfields redevelopment, as defined in s. 23.09 (19) (a) 1.

23.175(5) (5) State land.

23.175(5)(a) (a) A state agency may not refuse to permit the department to construct a portion of a state trail designated under sub. (2) on property owned by the state agency if the state agency determines that the trail does not conflict with other existing or planned uses of the property.

23.175(5)(b) (b) Each state agency shall consider state trails in the long-range plans for property owned by the state agency.

23.175(5m) (5m) State trail cleanup program.

23.175(5m)(a) (a) The department shall establish a state trail cleanup program to encourage community and youth organizations and other persons to volunteer for projects to remove debris and litter along designated portions of state trails.

23.175(5m)(b) (b) The department shall request that the organization or other person volunteering for a project under this program conduct the project for 2 years and remove debris and litter at least once a year during the 2-year period.

23.175(5m)(c) (c) The department shall place one sign along each designated portion of a state trail for which an organization or other person has volunteered. The sign shall state the fact that that portion of the trail is under the state trail cleanup program and the name of the organization or other person volunteering for that portion. The organization or other person volunteering for a designated portion of a state trail shall reimburse the department for the cost of the sign and its placement along that portion.

23.175(6) (6) Other trails. This section does not limit the authority of the department to designate other trails under s. 23.115.

23.175 History History: 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 72; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16, 90; 2005 a. 335; 2007 a. 35; 2013 a. 248.

23.177 23.177 Nonmotorized recreation and transportation trails council.

23.177(1) (1) Duties of council. The nonmotorized recreation and transportation trails council shall carry out studies and make recommendations to the legislature, governor, department of natural resources, and department of transportation on all matters related to nonmotorized recreation and transportation trails, including matters relating to nonmotorized trail activities or interests specified in s. 15.347 (20) (b) 1. to 11.

23.177(2) (2) Duties of departments of natural resources and transportation.

23.177(2)(a) (a) The department of natural resources and department of transportation shall seek the advice of, and consult with, the council regarding the planning, acquisition, development, maintenance, and management of nonmotorized recreation and transportation trails.

23.177(2)(b) (b) The department shall establish and maintain a website where a person may locate information about the council, including all meeting notices and agendas.

23.177(2)(c) (c) The department shall prepare written minutes of each meeting of the council and shall make them available on the website established under par. (b).

23.177 History History: 2009 a. 394; 2017 a. 365 s. 112.

23.178 23.178 Off-road vehicle council. The off-road vehicle council shall provide advice and make recommendations to the department of natural resources, the department of transportation, the governor, and the legislature on all matters relating to all-terrain vehicle trails and all-terrain vehicle routes, including matters relating to activities conducted on all-terrain vehicle trails and all-terrain vehicle routes by all-terrain vehicle users and utility terrain vehicle users, and shall make recommendations to the department of natural resources with regard to requests for funding under s. 23.33 (9) (b), (bb), and (bg).

23.178 History History: 2013 a. 16, 173; 2015 a. 55.

23.179 23.179 Off-highway motorcycle council. The off-highway motorcycle council may make recommendations to the department on matters relating to off-highway motorcycle corridors, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (s), and off-highway motorcycle routes, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (u), and on any other matters relating to the operation of off-highway motorcycles.

23.179 History History: 2015 a. 170.

23.19 23.19 Menomonee River conservation project.

23.19(1) (1) The department shall provide in state aid to the city of Milwaukee up to $500,000 for a conservation project for the Menomonee River if the city appropriates funds by June 30, 1991. Both the funds appropriated by the city and the state aid provided by the department shall be for any of the following stages of the project that may be undertaken by the city:

23.19(1)(a) (a) A feasibility study on the acquisition or development, or both, of land adjacent to the Menomonee River for the uses specified in sub. (2).

23.19(1)(b) (b) The acquisition of land adjacent to the Menomonee River for the uses specified in sub. (2).

23.19(1)(c) (c) The development of land adjacent to the Menomonee River for the uses specified in sub. (2).

23.19(2) (2) The uses of the land acquired or developed with the state aid provided under sub. (1) shall be for any of the following:

23.19(2)(a) (a) Recreational and community facilities.

23.19(2)(b) (b) Improved river access.

23.19(2)(c) (c) Nonpoint source pollution abatement.

23.19(2)(d) (d) Restoration of wetland.

23.19(3) (3) 

23.19(3)(a) (a) The amount of state aid provided under sub. (1) shall equal the actual amount, up to $500,000, that is expended by the city of Milwaukee for the stages of the project specified in sub. (1) (a) to (c).

23.19(3)(b) (b) The department may not provide state aid under sub. (1) for the performance of a feasibility study unless the department has granted prior approval for its performance.

23.19(3)(c) (c) Each time the city of Milwaukee completes a stage of the project as specified under sub. (1) (a) to (c) and has expended the total amount of its contribution for that stage, the city is entitled to receive the amount of state aid under par. (a) that equals the total amount of the contribution.

23.19 History History: 1989 a. 350; 1995 a. 27.

23.195 23.195 Monona terrace project in Madison.

23.195(1) (1) Beginning in fiscal year 1993-94 and ending in fiscal year 1995-96, from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (tz), the department shall set aside $1,000,000 in each fiscal year to be expended for the Frank Lloyd Wright Monona terrace project in the city of Madison to be expended as follows:

23.195(1)(a) (a) The amount of $370,000 for a bicycle path that is part of the project.

23.195(1)(b) (b) The amount of $2,630,000 for the following purposes:

23.195(1)(b)1. 1. Construction of a pedestrian bridge improving access to Lake Monona from the downtown area of the city.

23.195(1)(b)2. 2. Construction and development of a terrace and park in conjunction with the parking facility at the state office building located at 1 West Wilson Street authorized under 1991 Wisconsin Act 269, section 9108 (1) (a).