92.07(6) (6) Preventive and control measures and works of improvement. Each land conservation committee may carry out preventive and control measures and works of improvement for flood prevention and for conservation, development, utilization and control of water within the county. These preventive and control measures and works of improvement may include, but are not limited to, changes in the use of land and use of engineering operations such as terraces, terrace outlets, desilting basins, floodwater retarding structures, floodways, dikes and ponds, methods of cultivation and the growing of vegetation. These preventive and control measures and works of improvement may be carried out on lands owned or controlled by this state or any of its agencies, with the cooperation of the agency administering and having jurisdiction of the land, and on any other lands within the county upon obtaining the consent of the landowner or the necessary rights or interests in the land.

92.07(7) (7) Assistance. Each land conservation committee, in the name of the county, may cooperate with, enter into agreements with, or furnish financial, technical, planning or other assistance to any agency, governmental or otherwise, or any landowner or land user within the incorporated or unincorporated parts of the county, in carrying out resource conservation operations and works of improvement for flood prevention or for the conservation, development, utilization and protection of soil and water resources within the county.

92.07(7m) (7m) Assistance to the department of transportation. Each land conservation committee shall cooperate with the department of transportation as requested under s. 85.195.

92.07(8) (8) Obtain property. Each land conservation committee, in the name of the county, may obtain options upon and acquire, by purchase, exchange, lease, gift, grant, bequest, devise or otherwise, any property or rights or interests in property or in water. A land conservation committee may maintain, administer and improve any properties acquired. A land conservation committee may receive income from these properties on behalf of the county and may expend this income in carrying out the purposes and provisions of this chapter. A land conservation committee may sell, lease or otherwise dispose of the property or interests in property in furtherance of the purposes and the provisions of this chapter.

92.07(9) (9) Machinery availability. Each land conservation committee may make available, on terms it may prescribe, to landowners and land users within the incorporated and unincorporated parts of the county, agricultural and engineering machinery and equipment, fertilizer, seeds and seedlings, and other material or equipment which will assist the landowners and land users in carrying on operations upon their lands for the conservation of soil resources, for the prevention and control of soil erosion, for flood prevention, for the conservation, development and utilization of water or for the prevention of nonpoint source water pollution.

92.07(10) (10) Structures. Each land conservation committee may construct, improve, operate and maintain structures necessary or convenient for the performance of any of the operations or activities authorized in this chapter.

92.07(11) (11) Administration of projects or programs. Each land conservation committee, in the name of the county, may acquire, by purchase, lease or otherwise, and administer, any soil conservation, flood prevention, water management or nonpoint source water pollution abatement project or combinations of these projects, and participate in programs concerned with the conservation of natural resources located within the county undertaken by the United States or any of its agencies, or by this state or any of its agencies. A land conservation committee may administer, as agent of the United States or any of its agencies, or of this state or any of its agencies, any soil conservation, flood prevention, water management, water quality improvement, nonpoint source water pollution abatement, erosion control, erosion prevention project or resource conservation program within the county. A land conservation committee may act as agent for the United States, or any of its agencies, or for this state or any of its agencies, in connection with the acquisition, construction, operation or administration of any resource conservation program within the county. A land conservation committee, on behalf of the county, may accept donations, gifts and contributions in money, services, materials or otherwise from any source and use or expend these moneys, services, materials or other contributions in carrying on its operations.

92.07(12) (12) Contracts; rules. Each land conservation committee, in the name of the county, may make and execute contracts and other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of its powers.

92.07(13) (13) Contributions; agreements. As a condition to extending any benefits under this chapter to, or the performance of work upon, any lands not owned or controlled by this state or any of its agencies, a land conservation committee may require contributions in money, services, materials or otherwise to any operations conferring the benefits, and may require landowners and land users to enter into and perform agreements or covenants respecting the use of land as will lead to conservation of soil and water resources.

92.07(14) (14) Enter upon lands. Each land conservation committee may enter upon any lands within the county to examine the land and make surveys or plans for soil and water conservation without being liable for trespass in the reasonable performance of these duties. This authorization applies to the land conservation committee members and their agents.

92.07(15) (15) Administration and enforcement of ordinances. A land conservation committee may, if authorized by the county board, administer and enforce those provisions of an ordinance enacted under s. 101.65 (1) (a) related to construction site erosion, a zoning ordinance enacted under s. 59.693 or an ordinance enacted under authority granted under s. 101.1206.

92.07 History History: 1981 c. 346; 1983 a. 410 s. 2200 (2); 1985 a. 332 s. 251 (8); 1991 a. 309; 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 201; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 32.

92.07 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See ss. 59.70 (20) (c) and 60.10 (2) (i) for authorization of county or town appropriations.

92.09 92.09 Land conservation committee staff. The land conservation committee may employ county soil and water conservation staff, subject to the approval of the county board. The county soil and water conservation staff is responsible for the administration of the county soil and water conservation program and may exercise the powers granted to the land conservation committee.

92.09 History History: 1981 c. 346.

92.10 92.10 Land and water resource management planning program.

92.10(1) (1) Creation. There is created a land and water resource management planning program. The department, board and land conservation committees jointly shall develop and administer this program.

92.10(2) (2) Purposes. The purposes of the land and water resource management planning program are to conserve long-term soil productivity, protect the quality of related natural resources, enhance water quality and focus on severe soil erosion problems.

92.10(4) (4) Implementation; department duties.

92.10(4)(a) (a) Data. The department shall develop a systematic method of collecting and organizing data related to soil erosion. The department shall cooperate with the department of administration under s. 16.967 in developing this methodology or any related activities related to land information collection.

92.10(4)(c) (c) Plan assistance. The department shall assist land conservation committees in preparing land and water resource management plans.

92.10(4)(d) (d) Plan review. The department shall review and approve or disapprove land and water resource management plans submitted by the land conservation committees. The department may require land conservation committees to indicate specific projects to be funded under each plan and the related cost-sharing rates.

92.10(5) (5) Implementation; board duties.

92.10(5)(a) (a) Plan review. The board shall review land and water resource management plans submitted by the land conservation committees and make recommendations to the department.

92.10(5)(b) (b) Solicit comments. The board shall solicit comments on land conservation committee plans from the agencies identified as advisers to the board under s. 15.135 (4).

92.10(6) (6) Implementation; committee duties.

92.10(6)(a) (a) Plan preparation. A land conservation committee shall prepare a land and water resource management plan that, at a minimum, does all of the following:

92.10(6)(a)1. 1. Includes an assessment of water quality and soil erosion conditions throughout the county, including any assessment available from the department of natural resources.

92.10(6)(a)2. 2. Specifies water quality objectives for each water basin, priority watershed, as defined in s. 281.65 (2) (c), and priority lake, as defined in s. 281.65 (2) (be).