NR 51.006(6)(d) (d) The sponsor shall ensure that the holder of any mortgage or land contract on easement property shall subordinate its rights to the terms of the easement before grant payments are made.

NR 51.006(6)(e) (e) The sponsor shall use the department’s standard easement template for the appropriate stewardship grant program when developing its easement document.

NR 51.006 Note Note: Copies of the department’s easement standards and guidelines are available from the DNR, Bureau of Community Financial Assistance, Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707.

NR 51.006(6)(f) (f) The department shall have access to property on which an easement is acquired with a grant under this chapter, in a reasonable manner upon prior notice to the sponsor and the landowner, to monitor compliance with the conditions of the grant contract. The conditions of that access shall be contained in the easement agreed to by the landowner. The department may grant a variance to this access requirement in extraordinary situations according to the procedure in s. NR 51.003.

NR 51.006(7) (7) Public notice. The department shall follow procedures identified in s. NR 52.04, when notifying the public of land acquisition projects seeking funding under this chapter.

NR 51.006(8) (8) Title. Title to property acquired with a stewardship grant shall vest in the sponsor, except when acquired by the Kickapoo reserve management board where title shall vest in the state.

NR 51.006 History History: CR 10-127: cr. Register February 2012 No. 674, eff. 3-1-12.

NR 51.007 NR 51.007 Property uses inconsistent with the stewardship program.

NR 51.007(1) (1) The sponsor may not convert property purchased or developed with a grant under this chapter to uses that are inconsistent with the stewardship program or the grant contract, without the prior written approval of the department.

NR 51.007(2) (2) If a sponsor converts property to an inconsistent use not approved by the department, the sponsor shall return the property to the use specified in the grant contract or the sponsor shall replace the property with a different property, approved by the department. The department’s approval of replacement property shall include consideration of at least equal value, acreage, and benefit consistent with the stewardship grant program for which funding was originally approved.

NR 51.007(3) (3) If a sponsor converts a facility to an inconsistent use not approved by the department, the sponsor shall return the facility to the use specified in the grant contract, or replace the facility with one of equal value used for the same purpose within a timeline approved by the department.

NR 51.007(4) (4) A sponsor that fails to abide by the terms of the grant contract which results in inconsistent use of the property or facility or impairment of the conservation values may not be eligible to apply for future grants under this chapter until the sponsor corrects the impairment and the department determines that the sponsor is once again operating in accordance with the terms of the grant contract.

NR 51.007 History History: CR 10-127: cr. Register February 2012 No. 674, eff. 3-1-12.

subch. II of ch. NR 51 Subchapter II — Nonprofit Conservation Organizations

NR 51.01 NR 51.01 Purpose. The purpose of this subchapter is to establish procedures and standards for the administration of grants to nonprofit conservation organizations for conservation purposes as set forth in s. 23.096, Stats.

NR 51.01 History History: Cr. Register, October, 1990, No. 418, eff. 11-1-90; r. and recr. Register, February, 1996, No. 482, eff. 3-1-96.

NR 51.02 NR 51.02 Applicability. This subchapter is applicable to nonprofit conservation organizations that wish to apply for grants as specified in s. 23.096, Stats., for the following specific purposes identified in s. 23.09 (2) (d) 1. to 7., 9., 11., 12. and 15., Stats.; s. 23.0917 (4m), Stats., Baraboo hills; s. 23.092, Stats., habitat areas; s. 23.094, Stats., stream bank protection; s. 23.17, Stats., Ice Age Trail; s. 23.175, Stats., state trails; s. 23.27, Stats., natural areas; s. 23.29, Stats., natural area heritage program; s. 23.293, Stats., Ice Age Trail dedications; s. 23.09 (19), Stats., urban green space; s. 23.09 (20), Stats., aids for the acquisition and development of local parks; s. 23.09 (20m), Stats., acquisition of development rights; s. 30.24, Stats., bluff protection and s. 30.277, Stats., urban rivers.

NR 51.02 History History: Cr. Register, October, 1990, No. 418, eff. 11-1-90; am. Register, June, 1994, No. 462, eff. 7-1-94; r. and recr. Register, February, 1996, No. 482, eff. 3-1-96; emerg. am. eff. 9-1-00; CR 00-135: am. Register July 2001, No. 547 eff. 8-1-01.

NR 51.03 NR 51.03 General provisions.

NR 51.03(1) (1) The sponsor shall notify the department of any change in the status or purpose of the nonprofit conservation organization as it relates to the acquisition and management of lands for conservation purposes.

NR 51.03(2) (2) If the nonprofit conservation organization dissolves, all title, right and interest held by the sponsor in and to the property purchased under this chapter shall vest in the state, without the necessity of reentry, unless a transfer under s. NR 51.005 (10) is approved by the department.

NR 51.03(3) (3) Within the land acquisition grant program under s. 23.0917 (3), Stats., and subchs. I through VIII, the department may not award grants to governmental units, but it may consider projects involving both nonprofit conservation organizations and eligible governmental units as partners when those projects further the objectives of this chapter. Pursuant to s. 23.096 (4), Stats., the department may approve a transfer of title from the nonprofit conservation organization to an eligible governmental unit, an agency of the state of Wisconsin, or the U.S. government for the purpose of long-term management as required under s. NR 51.005 (10).

NR 51.03(4) (4) The department may award grants of up to 75 percent of the acquisition cost of the property pursuant to s. 23.096 (2m), Stats.

NR 51.03(5) (5) A sponsor acquiring property with a stewardship grant that is within the acquisition boundaries of a department project shall provide to the department plans for public use and land management that are consistent with department management plans for use of the property.

NR 51.03 History History: Cr. Register, October, 1990, No. 418, eff. 11-1-90; am. (3) (intro.) and (10), Register, June, 1994, No. 462, eff. 7-1-94; r. and recr. Register, February, 1996, No. 482, eff. 3-1-96; correction in (6) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, September, 1996, No. 489; correction in (6) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, December, 1997, No. 504; emerg. am. (1) (intro.), (c) and (d), (3), (7), (9), (11) and (12), cr. (1) (f), (15) to (20), eff. 9-1-00; CR 00-135: am. (1) (intro.), (c) and (d), (3), (7), (9), (11) and (12), cr. (1) (f), (15) to (20), Register July 2001, No. 547 eff. 8-1-01; CR 10-127: r. (1) to (12), (16) to (20), renum. (13) to be (1), renum. (14) and (15) to be (2) and (3) and am., cr. (4) and (5) Register February 2012 No. 674, eff. 3-1-12; correction in (3) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register February 2012 No. 674.

NR 51.04 NR 51.04 Application procedures and organization eligibility for grant assistance.

NR 51.04(1) (1) Application procedures.

NR 51.04(1)(a) (a) Nonprofit conservation organizations that apply to the department for urban greenspace grants under s. 23.09 (19), Stats., subch. XIII, aids for the acquisition and development of local parks under s. 23.09 (20), Stats., and subch. XII, acquisition of development rights grants under s. 23.09 (20m), Stats., and subch. XV, and urban rivers grants under s. 30.277, Stats., and subch. XIV, shall follow application procedures listed under s. NR 51.906.

NR 51.04(1)(b) (b) Except as provided in par. (a) nonprofit conservation organizations shall use all of the following procedures when submitting applications to the department: