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 Wisconsin Statutes (Last Updated: January 10, 2017)
 Chapter 23. Conservation

  Section 23.094. Stream bank protection program.  

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    (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 the water quality and the fish habitat of the streams in this state, there is created a stream bank protection program to be administered by the department.
    (2)   Identification of priority streams.
    (a) The department shall identify as priority streams those streams in this state that are in most need of protection from degradation of water quality caused by agricultural or urban runoff.
    (b) In identifying priority streams under par. (a) , the department shall give higher priority to those streams that are affected by a federal or state program or plan that protects water quality or fish habitat.
    (c) The federal or state programs or plans under par. (b) include:
    1. The conservation reserve program under 16 USC 3831 to 3836 .
    2. The land and resource management planning program under s. 92.10 .
    4. The soil and water resource management program under s. 92.14 .
    5. The nonpoint source pollution abatement grant program under s. 281.65 .
    (2m)   Acquisition of land. For a stream identified as a priority stream under sub. (2) , the department may acquire land adjacent to the stream by gift or devise or by purchase. Whenever possible, the land acquired shall include the area within at least 66 feet from either side of the stream.
    (3)   State easements. For a stream identified as a priority stream under sub. (2) , the department may acquire a permanent stream bank easement from the owner of land adjacent to the priority stream by gift or devise or beginning July 1, 1990, by purchase. Whenever possible, the easement shall include the land within at least 66 feet from either side of the stream.
    (3g)   Acquisition by political subdivision. A political subdivision may acquire by gift, devise or purchase land adjacent to a stream identified as a priority stream under sub. (2) or acquire by gift, devise or purchase a permanent stream bank easement from the owner of the land. The department may make grants from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (tz) to political subdivisions to purchase these lands and easements. The department may make grants under s. 23.096 from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) or (tz) or both. Whenever possible, the land or easement shall include the land within at least 66 feet from either side of the stream.
    (3m)   Limits. Except as provided in s. 23.096 (2m) , a grant under sub. (3g) may not exceed 50 percent of the acquisition costs for the land or the easement.
    (3r)   Restriction on land and easements. A stream bank easement acquired under this section or under s. 23.096 shall prohibit all of the following and all of the following are prohibited on land acquired under this section or under s. 23.096 :
    (a) Alteration of vegetative cover or other natural features unless the department specifically approves the alteration.
    (b) Planting or production of agricultural crops unless the department specifically approves the planting or production for wildlife management purposes.
    (c) Mowing, grazing or spraying the land with chemicals, except as necessary to comply with noxious weed control laws or to control pests on an emergency basis when such control is necessary to protect public health or unless the department specifically approves the mowing, grazing or spraying.
    (4)   Donations.
    (a) The department shall determine the value of land or an easement donated to the department for purposes of this section and for stream bank protection under s. 23.096 . For an easement, the valuation shall be based on the extent to which the fair market value of the land is diminished by the transfer. Except as provided in par. (b) , an amount of money equal to the value of the donation shall be released from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) or (tz) or both to be used to acquire easements and land under this section and s. 23.096 for the same stream for which any donation was made on or after August 9, 1989. The department shall determine how the moneys being released are to be allocated from these appropriations.
    (b) If the moneys allocated under par. (a) for release from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) to match a donation under par. (a) will exceed the annual bonding authority for the subprogram under s. 23.0917 (3) for a given fiscal year, as adjusted under s. 23.0917 (5) , the department shall release from the moneys appropriated under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) the remaining amount available under that annual bonding authority, as adjusted under s. 23.0917 (5) , for the given fiscal year and shall release in each following fiscal year from the moneys appropriated under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) an amount equal to that annual bonding authority, as adjusted under s. 23.0917 (5) , or equal to the amount still needed to match the donation, whichever is less, until the entire amount necessary to match the donation is released.
    (5)   Other requirements. A stream bank easement acquired under this section or s. 23.096 may require the landowner to seed the land subject to the easement at seeding rates determined by the department in order to establish and maintain perennial cover of either a grass-legume mixture or native grass for the term of the easement, or to plant trees on the land subject to the easement.
    (6)   Fencing. Beginning July 1, 1990, the department shall pay the cost of purchasing and installing any fencing the department determines to be necessary to protect a priority stream identified under this section for which land or an easement has been acquired on or after August 9, 1989, under this section or s. 23.096 .
    (7)   Stream watch program. The department shall establish a stream watch program to encourage the volunteer activities of community and youth organizations to monitor and improve stream quality and to remove debris, including dead fish, from land adjacent to streams and other bodies of water.
    (8)   Appropriation. 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 for fisheries, for the acquisition of land and easements by the department under this section, for grants under sub. (3g) and for grants for this purpose under s. 23.096 in each fiscal year.