AB 436

Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulates

mining for metallic minerals. Before enactment of

2013 Wisconsin Act 1

, the laws

under which DNR regulated metallic mining applied to mining for ferrous minerals

(iron) and mining for nonferrous minerals, such as copper or zinc.

2013 Wisconsin

Act 1

created new statutes for regulating iron mining and modified the laws

regulating metallic mining so that they cover only mining for nonferrous minerals.

This bill changes the laws relating to the regulation of iron mining so that the

laws are substantially the same as they existed before enactment of

2013 Wisconsin

Act 1

. Under this bill, the laws under which DNR currently regulates metallic

mining, other than iron mining, apply to mining for iron and to mining for nonferrous

minerals.

Under current law, certain forested land may be designated as managed forest

land (MFL) under a program administered by the Department of Natural Resources

(DNR). Under this program, the owner of land designated as MFL makes an annual

acreage share payment that is lower than, and in lieu of, the property taxes that

normally would be payable. In exchange, the landowner must comply with certain

forestry practices and have a management plan prepared for the land. The owner

must also open the MFL to the public for hunting, fishing, hiking, sight-seeing, and

cross-country skiing, but may designate up to a certain number of acres as being

closed to public access. For MFL that is designated as closed, the owner must make

an additional payment per acre. If the MFL meets the eligibility requirements under

the program, which include minimum acreage requirements and requirements as to

how much merchantable timber can be produced on the land, DNR approves the

application and issues an order designating the land as MFL.

2013 Wisconsin Act 81

made changes to the MFL program as it relates to

ferrous mining activities.

2013 Wisconsin Act 81

generally provided that the

requirements with regard to public access to MFL do not apply to an area of land

within a certain distance of a proposed iron mining site.

2013 Wisconsin Act 81

also

required an MFL owner to make an additional payment per acre for land located in