SB 247

Current law authorizes the state to incur public debt for conservation under the

Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship 2000 Program (stewardship

program), which is administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

In addition to this stewardship program, conservation activities were also funded

under the original stewardship program that began in 1990 and ended in 2000.

Current law grants the state the authority to bond to acquire land for the state

under the stewardship program. Under the stewardship program, DNR may also

award grants to certain local governmental units and nonprofit conservation

organizations for conservation purposes.

Before the enactment of

2009 Wisconsin Act 28

, the 2009-11 biennial budget

act (budget act), DNR was required to make available a directory of all land that was

purchased with funding from both stewardship programs (stewardship land) and

that was open to public. DNR was also required to provide a list of all stewardship

land acquired before October 27, 2007, for which public access had been prohibited

or restricted and the reason for the restriction or prohibition. The deadline for

making available the directory and list was October 28, 2011. The budget act

repealed these requirements.

This bill restores the requirements to make available the directory and list. The

bill changes the deadline so that these requirements must be completed within three

years after this bill becomes law.

Under current law, DNR may not obligate money under the stewardship

programs for certain projects or activities before DNR gives written notice of the

proposed project or activity to the Joint Committee on Finance (JCF). With some

exceptions, this procedure applies only when the amount of debt to be incurred for

the project or activity exceeds $750,000. Upon receipt of the notice, if JCF does not

notify DNR within 14 days after the date of DNR's notification that JCF has

scheduled a meeting to review the proposed project or activity, DNR can obligate the

money. Current law contains a provision requiring that at such a review meeting the

proposed project or activity will be approved unless a majority of the JCF members

who attend the meeting vote to modify or deny the proposal. This bill removes this

provision.