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 Wisconsin Statutes (Last Updated: January 10, 2017)
 Chapter 84. State Trunk Highways; Federal Aid

  Section 84.105. National parkways.  

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    (1)   Department of transportation to cooperate with federal agencies. The legislature of the state of Wisconsin hereby declares that the intent of this section is to assent to any act of the United States congress authorizing the development of any national parkway located wholly or partly within the state of Wisconsin, to the full extent that is necessary to secure any benefits under such act, provided that the hunting of migratory waterfowl and other game and fishing shall not be prohibited or otherwise restricted by the United States government or any of its designated agencies in control of said project, and to authorize the appropriate state boards, commissions, departments and the governing bodies of counties, cities, towns and villages and especially the department of transportation to cooperate in the planning and development of all national parkways that may be proposed for development in Wisconsin, with any agency or department of the government of the United States in which is vested the necessary authority to construct or otherwise develop such national parkways. Whenever authority shall exist for the planning and development of any national parkway, of which any portion shall be located in this state, it shall be the duty of the department of transportation to make such investigations and studies in cooperation with the appropriate federal agency, and such state boards, commissions and departments as shall have an interest in such parkway development, to the extent that shall be desirable and necessary in order to provide that the state shall secure all advantages that may accrue through such parkway development and that the interests of the counties, cities, villages and towns along the route shall be conserved.
    (2)   Definitions. For the purposes of this section, all terms applying to any parkway, such as “secretary", “parkway", “scenic landscape", “sightly or safety easement", “access", “parkway road", “parkway development", “national parkway", “frontage", and other or similar terms, which are defined in any act of the United States Congress applicable to such national parkway, shall have the meanings set forth in such act. The term “national parkway" as used in this section shall mean and include the Great River Road and appurtenances thereto, as provided in section 14 of P.L. 83-350 , or any other parkway or road in Wisconsin projected in general accordance with the recommended plan set forth in the joint report submitted to the congress November 28, 1951, by the secretaries of commerce and interior pursuant to the act of August 24, 1949 ( P.L. 81-262 ) to the end that the department shall have authority to act with reference to them as provided by this section.
    (3)   Department shall make investigations. The department shall have full authority to make such investigations, surveys, studies and plans in connection with any proposed national parkway or parkway development as it shall deem necessary or desirable in order to determine if the proposed development, under the terms of the act of the United States Congress applicable to such parkway or any regulations under such act, are advantageous to the state. Such parkway development may be any portion of the proposed parkway, which it may be proposed to construct as a project under such act. The department may hold such hearings in connection with such investigations as it deems necessary or desirable, and shall give notice of such hearings by publication of a class 2 notice, under ch. 985 , in the area affected.
    (4)   Finding and determination. When the department has completed its investigations with respect to any proposed national parkway development, it shall make its findings and determination with respect to such proposed development. Such finding and determination shall state whether or not such proposed national parkway development is deemed advantageous to the state, shall include such information with respect to the development as shall be necessary to state its character and extent, and shall estimate the cost thereof and separately, the amount and character of lands necessary to be acquired in fee simple and in easements, with their cost, and needed to carry out the development.
    (5)   Parkway to be state trunk highway. If the department, after such investigations and studies, shall find that the proposed parkway development is advantageous to the state, it shall have full authority to perform, on behalf of the state, each and every duty required of the state by the act of the U.S. congress applicable to such parkway development, in order to secure the proposed development project for the state. For the purposes of such development project, the parkway shall be a portion of the state trunk highway system.
    (6)   Right-of-way and easements. All lands for right-of-way to be acquired in fee simple and all easements necessary to be acquired for the purposes of the proposed national parkway development shall be acquired by the department in the name of the state, as may be required by the act of the U.S. congress applicable thereto. Any lands owned by the state, or by any county, city, village or town, may be conveyed to the United States for the purposes of the parkway in the manner provided by law. The department may acquire such lands by gift, purchase agreement, or by exercising the right of eminent domain in any manner that may be provided by law for the acquirement of lands for public purposes. The department may convey such lands to the U.S. government or any of its agencies, as may be required by the act of the U.S. congress applicable to such national parkway.
    (7)   Liberal construction. All powers granted in this section shall be liberally construed in favor of the department and any proposed national parkway development projects.