SB 522

This bill fixes and establishes the shoreline in the city of Milwaukee (city) in

accordance with an agreement entered into in 1913 (agreement of 1913) between the

Chicago and Northwestern Railway company and the city. The bill provides that this

shoreline constitutes the boundary line between the lake bed of Lake Michigan and

land that is not part of the lake bed of Lake Michigan. The bill specifies than any

restrictions or other conditions imposed on the use of land or conveyance of land

under various enactments of the legislature conveying a part of the lake bed of Lake

Michigan do not apply to land located to the west of the shoreline as established

under the bill. The bill provides that a person may challenge the shoreline boundary

as established under the bill only by bringing an action in court for a declaratory

judgment.

The bill also makes legislative findings and declarations with respect to the

authority of the legislature to act as representative of the state in exercising the

function of trustee of the public trust in navigable waters established under article

IX, section 1, of the Wisconsin Constitution. The bill contains other findings that

describe land conveyances under the agreement of 1913 and under various other

legislative enactments and that describe other activities that occurred after 1913 to

establish that the shoreline in the city of Milwaukee is as described in the agreement

of 1913.