Chapter 23, CONSERVATION

23.09 Conservation. (1) PURPOSES. The purpose of this section is to provide an adequate and flexible system for the pro- 23.24 23.25 23.26 23.27 23.28 23.29 23.293 23.295 23.30 23.305 23.31 23.32 23.321 23.322 23.323 23.325 23.33 23.335 23.35 23.38 23.39 23.40 23.41 23.42 23.425 …

23.091 Recreation areas. (1) DESIGNATION. The department may acquire, develop, operate and maintain state recreation areas. State lands and waters may be designated as state recreation areas that are environmentally adaptable to multiple recreational uses, or are so located to pr…

23.0912 Land management, maintenance, and improvement activities. (1b) In this section: (a) “Department land” has the meaning given in s. 23.0917 (1) (c). (b) “Nonprofit conservation organization” has the meaning given in s. 23.0955 (1). (1g) The department may contract with nonp…

23.0913 Report on land acquisitions. (1) In this section, “land” has the meaning given in s. 23.0917 (1) (d). (2) On or before November 15 of each odd-numbered year, the department of natural resources shall submit to the joint committee on finance and to the chief clerk of each …

23.0915 Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship program. (1) DESIGNATED AMOUNTS. The legislature intends that the department will expend the following designated amounts under the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship program from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (tz) …

23.0916 Stewardship land access. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Former managed forest land” means land that was withdrawn from the managed forest land program under subch. VI of ch. 77 on or after October 27, 2007. (b) “Nature-based outdoor activity” means hunting, fishin…

23.09165 Stewardship programs information and public access notice. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Department land” has the meaning given in s. 23.0917 (1) (c). (b) “Land” has the meaning given in s. 23.0917 (1) (d). (c) “Nonprofit conservation organization” has the meani…

23.0917 Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship 2000 program. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Annual bonding authority” means the amount that may be obligated under a subprogram for a fiscal year. (am) “Available bonding authority” means the annual bonding authority as i…

23.0918 Natural resources land endowment fund. (1) In this section, “land” includes any buildings, facilities or other structures located on the land. (2) Unless the natural resources board determines otherwise in a specific case, only the income from the gifts, grants, or beques…

23.0919 Wisconsin outdoor wildlife heritage trust fund. Expenditures from the Wisconsin outdoor wildlife heritage trust fund may be used only for the improvement and maintenance of fish and wildlife habitat. For purposes of this section, improvement and maintenance of fish and wi…

23.092 Habitat areas. (1b) In this section, “nonprofit conservation organization” has the meaning given in s. 23.0955 (1). (1m) The department shall designate habitat areas in order to enhance wildlife-based recreation in this state, including hunting, fishing, nature appreciatio…

23.0925 Habitat work plan. The department shall prepare a biennial work plan that coincides with the biennial state budget process. The plan shall establish priorities and goals for habitat work on lands managed by the department and measure progress on established priorities and…

23.093 Carp control research. The department of natural resources may enter into contracts with public or private agencies for the accelerated research and development of a specific toxic material for the control and eradication of carp in the waters of the state.

23.094 Stream bank protection program. (1) DEFINITION. In this section, “political subdivision” means city, village, town, county, lake sanitary district, as defined in s. 30.50 (4q), or public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district. (1m) CREATION. In order to protect…

23.095 Protection of natural resources. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Damage” means to commit a physical act that unreasonably destroys, molests, defaces, removes or wastes. (b) “Discharge” has the meaning given in s. 292.01 (3). (c) “Hazardous substance” has the meaning…

23.0951 Wildlife action plan. The department may prepare a state wildlife action plan that identifies which native wildlife species with low or declining populations are most at risk and provides guidance for activities to conserve those species. The plan may not require action b…

23.0953 Grants to counties for land acquisition. (1) In this section, “nature-based outdoor recreation” has the meaning given by the department by rule under s. 23.0917 (4) (f). (2) (a) Beginning with fiscal year 2010-11 and ending with fiscal year 2025-26, the department shall e…

23.0955 Assistance to nonprofit conservation organizations. (1) In this section, “nonprofit conservation organization” means a nonprofit corporation, a charitable trust or other nonprofit association whose purposes include the acquisition of property for conservation purposes and…

23.0956 Assistance for private conservation activities. (1) From the appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (aw), the department shall provide one grant of $85,000 in each fiscal year, beginning with fiscal year 2000-01, to a nonstock, nonprofit corporation that is described under sec…

23.0957 Annual grants to a nonstock, nonprofit corporation; urban land conservation. (1) In this section: (a) “Local governmental unit” has the meaning given in s. 23.09 (19) (a) 2. (b) “Interested group” means a community group, nonprofit organization or local governmental unit …

23.096 Grants to nonprofit conservation organizations. (1) In this section: (ag) “Nonprofit conservation organization” has the meaning given in s. 23.0955 (1). (b) “Property” means land or an interest in land. (2) (a) The department may award grants from the appropriation under s…

23.0962 Grant to a nonprofit conservation organization for Black Point Estate. (1) If the department of administration acquires as a gift the property, known as Black Point Estate, that is located on Lake Geneva in the county of Walworth, town of Linn, in fractional Sec. 8, T. 1 …

23.0963 Acquisition of the Canadian Pacific Railway corridor. From the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) and subject to s. 23.0917 (5g) (d) 2. b., the department shall use the amount necessary, but not more than $1,000,000, to acquire the railway corridor known as the Canadi…

23.0965 Payments to Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (1) The department of natural resources shall enter into an agreement with Ducks Unlimited, Inc., to make payments from the appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (au) to Ducks Unlimited, Inc., to fund its conservation efforts in the United St…

23.097 Urban forestry grants. (1) In this section, a “nonprofit organization” means an organization that is described in section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code. (1g) The depart…

23.098 Grants for property development on properties owned by the department. (1) In this section: (ag) “Department property” means an area of real property that is owned by the state, that is under the jurisdiction of the department and that is used for one of the purposes speci…

23.099 Grants for property development relating to wetland mitigation. (1) In this section: (a) “Department land” has the meaning given under s. 281.37 (1) (a). (b) “Nonprofit organization” means an organization that is described in section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Cod…

23.10 Conservation wardens. (1) The department of natural resources shall secure the enforcement of all laws which it is required to administer and bring, or cause to be brought, actions and proceedings in the name of the state for that purpose. The persons appointed by said depa…

23.11 General powers. (1) In addition to the powers and duties heretofore conferred and imposed upon said department by this chapter it shall have and take the general care, protection and supervision of all state parks, of all state fish hatcheries and lands used therewith, of a…

23.113 Designation of chief state forester. The secretary shall designate the administrator of the division of forestry in the department as the chief state forester. The chief state forester shall be a professional forester as recognized by the Society of American Foresters. His…

23.114 Duties of the chief state forester. (1) (a) In this section, “state forest land” means all forested lands owned by this state and under the jurisdiction of the department. (b) Except as provided in par. (c), the chief state forester may declare, and shall manage, emergenci…

23.115 Designation of trails, etc. (1) The department shall designate trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, and other special use areas located on property under its control. The department may designate roads located on property under its control. The designated roads, trails, camp…

23.116 Department property; mapping and access to roads. (1) “Department property” means a property that is owned by the state, that is under the jurisdiction of the department, and that is used for one of the purposes specified in s. 23.09 (2) (d). (2) The department shall inven…

23.1165 Sale of insect repellant. (1) In this section, “friends group” has the meaning given in s. 23.098 (1) (b). (2) The department shall ensure that insect repellant is available for purchase in every state park and state forest through one of the following methods: (a) Making…

23.117 Use of trails by bicycles and electric personal assistive mobility devices. (1) No person may operate a bicycle, electric scooter, or electric personal assistive mobility device on a trail in a state park or in the Kettle Moraine state forest unless the department has dete…

23.118 Signage required. The department shall, in consultation with the department of health services, design signs to raise awareness of Lyme disease, inform about how to prevent tick bites, and encourage people to check for ticks after visits to state parks, state trails, state…

23.1185 Lyme disease awareness. (1) If the department produces a brochure for a specific state park that includes information about the state park that is not solely a map of the park, the department shall also include in the brochure information on Lyme disease, how to prevent t…

23.119 Consent to use certain off-highway vehicles. (1) In this section: (a) “All-terrain vehicle” has the meaning given in s. 340.01 (2g). (at) “Off-highway motorcycle” has the meaning given in s. 23.335 (1) (q). (b) “Off-highway vehicle” means a motor-driven craft or vehicle pr…

23.12 Bylaws. Said natural resources board may make and establish such rules and bylaws, not inconsistent with law, as it deems useful to itself and its subordinates in the conduct of the business entrusted to it.

23.125 Natural resources board member conflicts of interest. (1) If a member of the natural resources board is the holder of a permit or license issued by the department under chs. 280 to 299, that member may not engage in a discussion at a board meeting or participate in a board…

23.13 Governor to be informed. The board of commissioners of public lands and the department of natural resources shall furnish to the governor upon the governor’s request a copy of any paper, document or record in their respective offices and give the governor orally such inform…

23.135 Forest land inventory and report. (1) In this section, “state forest land” means any parcel of 10 or more contiguous acres of forested land owned by this state and under the jurisdiction of the department. (2) The department shall undertake and maintain a current inventory…

23.14 Approval required before new lands acquired. Prior to the initial acquisition of any lands by the department after July 1, 1977, for any new facility or project, the proposed initial acquisition shall be submitted to the governor for his or her approval. New facilities or p…

23.145 Certain land sales required. (1) The natural resources board shall on or before June 30, 2017, offer for sale at least 10,000 acres of land owned by the state, under the jurisdiction of the department, and outside of project boundaries that were established by the departme…

23.146 Installation of telecommunications systems. (1) In this section, “tower site” means a site on land under the management and control of the department and on which the department operates a radio tower or lookout tower. (2) The department may enter into a lease of a tower s…

23.15 Sale of state-owned lands under the jurisdiction of the department of natural resources. (1) The natural resources board may sell, at public or private sale, lands and structures owned by the state under the jurisdiction of the department of natural resources, except centra…

23.16 Periodicals. (1) PUBLICATION. The department may produce, issue, or reprint magazines or other periodicals on a periodic basis as it determines, pertaining to fish and game, forests, parks, environmental quality, and other similar subjects of general information. The depart…

23.165 Promotional activities; other publications. (1) PUBLICATIONS. The department may produce, issue, reprint and sell publications not published on a periodic basis that pertain to fish and game, forests, parks, environmental quality and other similar subjects of general infor…

23.167 Goals and accountability measures for economic development programs. (1) In this section, “economic development program” means a program or activity having the primary purpose of encouraging the establishment and growth of business in this state, including the creation and…

23.169 Economic development assistance coordination and reporting. (1) The department shall coordinate any economic development assistance with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. (2) Annually, no later than October 1, the department shall submit to the joint legislat…