92.06 Land conservation committees. (1) CREATION; MEMBERSHIP. (a) Creation. Each county board shall create a land conservation committee. (b) Membership. 1. The county board shall appoint to the land conservation committee at least 2 persons who are members of the committee on agriculture and extension education created under s. 59.56 (3) (b). 2. The county board shall appoint to the land conservation committee a person who is engaged in an agricultural use, as defined under s. 91.01 (2) (a) 1. to 7. 3. The county board may appoint to the land conservation committee any number of members who are also members of the county board. 4. The county board may appoint to the land conservation committee up to 2 members who are not members of the county board. (c) Terms. Each member of the land conservation committee shall serve for a term of 2 years or until a successor is appointed, whichever is longer. (d) Reimbursement. Each member of the land conservation committee shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses and shall be paid the same per diem as members of other county board committees. (e) Programs and responsibilities. The county board may assign other programs and responsibilities to the land conservation committee. (2) DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVES. The county board shall designate a representative of each county committee with responsibilities related to natural resource management to serve as an adviser to the land conservation committee. The county board shall designate, at a minimum, representatives from any county zoning or land use, forestry, parks and solid waste committees. In addition, the land conservation committee may invite any state, federal or local agency with which the county or committee has a memorandum of understanding to designate a representative to advise the land conservation committee. (4) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. The committee shall actively solicit public participation in the planning and evaluation of soil and water conservation programs. History: 1981 c. 346; 1985 a. 29; 1995 a. 201; 2011 a. 263; 2023 a. 32. Appointments to the conservation committee are made by the county board, not the county executive. 76 Atty. Gen. 173. Discussing committee responsibilities and prohibitions of private interests in public contracts. 76 Atty. Gen. 184.
92.07 Land conservation committee; powers. (1) POWERS GENERALLY. Each land conservation committee may carry out the powers delegated to the committee subject to the approval of the county board. (2) STANDARDS. Each land conservation committee may develop and adopt standards and specifications for management practices to control erosion, sedimentation and nonpoint source water pollution. The standards and specifications for agricultural facilities and practices that are constructed or begun on or after October 14, 1997, and, if cost-sharing is available to the owner or operator under s. 92.14 or 281.65 or from any other source, for
SOIL, WATER AND ANIMAL WASTE
92.07
agricultural facilities and practices that are constructed or begun before that date shall be consistent with the performance standards, prohibitions, conservation practices and technical standards under s. 281.16 (3). The land conservation committee shall use the rules promulgated under s. 281.16 (3) (e) to determine whether cost-sharing is available. (3) DISTRIBUTE FUNDS. Each land conservation committee may distribute and allocate federal, state and county funds made available to the committee for cost-sharing programs or other incentive programs for improvements and practices relating to soil and water conservation on private or public lands, and within the limits permitted under these programs, to determine the methods of allocating these funds. (5) EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER PROGRAMS. Each land conservation committee may encourage research and educational, informational and public service programs, advise the University of Wisconsin System on educational needs and assist the University of Wisconsin System and the department in implementing educational programs under ss. 36.25 (7), 59.56 (3) and 92.05. (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. (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. (7m) ASSISTANCE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. Each land conservation committee shall cooperate with the department of transportation as requested under s. 85.195. (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. (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
May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26)
92.07
Updated 23-24 Wis. Stats.
SOIL, WATER AND ANIMAL WASTE
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. (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. (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. (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. (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. (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. (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. 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. Cross-reference: See ss. 59.70 (20) (c) and 60.10 (2) (i) for authorization of county or town appropriations.