281.68 (1) Definitions. (intro.) In this section, "qualified:

(b) "Qualified lake association" means a group incorporated under ch. 181 that meets all of the following conditions:

281.68 (1) (ag) "Lake" includes a flowage.

281.68 (1m) Purposes of grants. The department shall develop and administer a financial assistance program to provide lake management planning grants for projects to provide information and education on the use of lakes and natural lake ecosystems and on the quality of water in lakes, including mill ponds, in order to and the quality of natural lake ecosystems.

(1r) Uses of grants. Lake management planning grants shall be used to improve water quality assessment and planning and to aid in the selection of activities to abate do any of the following:

(a) Prevent pollution of from entering into lakes or into natural lake ecosystems.

281.68 (1r) (b) Protect or improve the quality of water in lakes or the quality of natural lake ecosystems.

281.68 (2) (title) Amount of grants.

281.68 (3) (title) Rules for grants.

281.68 (3) (b) (intro.) Eligible activities, which shall include data all of the following for lakes and natural lake ecosystems:

1. Data collection, water quality assessment and nonpoint.

4. Nonpoint source pollution evaluation.

281.68 (3) (b) 2. Assessments of water quality and of fish and aquatic life and their habitat.

281.68 (3) (b) 3. Assessments of the uses of a lake and the uses of the land surrounding the lake.

281.68 (3) (b) 5. Informational or educational programs and materials.

281.68 (4) (title) Eligibility for lake management planning grants.

281.69 (title) Lake management and classification grants and contracts.

281.69 (1m) Types of projects. (intro.) The department shall develop and administer a financial assistance program to provide grants for the following 3 2 types of projects:

281.69 (1m) (a) Lake management projects that will improve or protect the quality of water in lakes or the quality of natural lake ecosystems of lakes.

281.69 (1r) Contracts. Lake The department may award contracts for lake classification technical assistance projects to be conducted by nonprofit corporations that will provide educational and technical assistance.

281.69 (1b) Definition. In this section, "lake" includes a flowage.

281.69 (2) (title) Amounts of grants and contracts.

281.69 (2) (c) A grant contract for a lake classification technical assistance project may not exceed $200,000.

281.69 (3) (a) A designation of eligible recipients, which shall include nonprofit conservation organizations, as defined in s. 23.0955 (1), counties, cities, towns, villages, qualified lake associations, as defined in s. 281.68 (1) (b), town sanitary districts, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts and other local governmental units, as defined in s. 66.299 (1) (a), that are established for the purpose of lake management.

281.69 (3) (b) 1. The purchase of land or of a conservation easement, as defined in s. 700.40 (1) (a), if the eligible recipient enters into a contract under sub. (4) s. 281.71 and if the purchase will substantially contribute to the protection or improvement of a lake's water quality or its natural ecosystem.

281.71 (title) Lake management project grants; river protection grants; purchases. (1) (intro.) In order to receive a grant for a purchase under sub. s. 281.69 (3) (b) 1. or 281.70 (5) (c) 1., the recipient shall enter into a contract with the department that contains all of the following provisions:

(d) A clause that any subsequent sale or transfer of the property to be acquired is subject to pars. (b) and (c) subs. (2) and (3).

(2) (intro.) The recipient of the grant used for a purchase under sub. s. 281.69 (3) (b) 1. or 281.70 (5) (c) 1. may subsequently sell or transfer the acquired property to a 3rd party other than a creditor of the recipient if all of the following apply:

(b) The party to whom the property is sold or transferred enters into a new contract with the department that contains the provisions under par. (a) sub. (1).

(3) The recipient of the grant used for a purchase under sub. s. 281.69 (3) (b) 1. or 281.70 (5) (c) 1. may subsequently sell or transfer the acquired property to satisfy a debt or other obligation if the department approves the sale or transfer.

(5) The instrument conveying the property to the recipient shall state the interest of the state under par. (d) sub. (4). The contract entered into under par. (a) sub. (1) and the instrument of conveyance shall be recorded in the office of the register of deeds of each county in which the property is located.

281.69 (6) Lake classification technical assistance grants contracts. A nonprofit corporation receiving a lake classification technical assistance grant contract shall provide educational and technical assistance to local units of government and lake management organizations that will participate in a lake classification project.

281.70 River protection grants. (1) Definition. In this section, "river" includes a stream or a flowage.

(2) Types of projects. The department shall develop and administer a financial assistance program to provide grants for planning projects and management projects.

(3) Amounts of grants. (a) A grant for a planning project may be made for up to 75% of the cost of the project but may not exceed $10,000 per grant.

(b) A grant for a management project may be made for up to 75% of the cost of the project but may not exceed $50,000 per grant.

(4) Eligible recipients. (a) All of the following shall be eligible for grants under this section:

1. Local governmental units, as defined in s. 66.299 (1) (a).

2. River management organizations that meet the qualifications under par. (b).

3. Nonprofit conservation organizations, as defined in s. 23.0955 (1).

(b) The department shall promulgate rules to establish the qualifications that a river management organization must meet to qualify for a grant under this section.

(5) Eligible activities. The department shall promulgate rules to do all of the following:

(a) Designate activities that are eligible for grants for planning projects. Eligible activities under the rules for these grants shall include all of the following:

1. Data collection.

2. Assessments of water quality and of fish and aquatic life and their habitat.

3. Assessments of the uses of a river and the uses of the land surrounding the river.

4. Nonpoint source pollution evaluation.

5. Informational or educational programs and materials as specified in par. (b).

6. Programs and materials to assist persons in forming river management organizations or other groups to protect or improve rivers and natural riverine ecosystems.

(b) For purposes of par. (a) 5., specify informational or educational materials that may be provided on any of the following:

1. Protecting or improving the ways in which rivers are used.

2. Protecting or improving the quality of water in rivers.

3. Protecting or improving the quality of natural riverine ecosystems.

4. Protecting or improving fish populations, aquatic life or fish habitat in rivers.

(c) Designate activities that are eligible for grants for management projects. Eligible activities under the rules for these grants shall include all of the following:

1. The purchase of land or of a conservation easement, as defined in s. 700.40 (1) (a) if the recipient enters into a contract under s. 281.71 and if the purchase will substantially contribute to the protection or improvement of the river's water quality or its natural ecosystem.

2. The restoration of in-stream or shoreline habitat.

3. The development of local regulations or ordinances that will protect or improve the river's water quality or its natural ecosystem.

4. An activity that is approved by the department and that is needed to implement a recommendation made as a result of a plan to protect or improve the river's water quality or its natural ecosystem.

5. Installation of pollution control practices.

(6) Eligibility; types of rivers. The department shall promulgate rules establishing the types of natural riverine ecosystems that are eligible for grants under this section.

(7) Eligibility; other. At the completion of a planning project, upon request of the recipient of the grant for the planning project, the department may approve as eligible activities for a management project grant the recommendations that were made as a result of the project.

281.72 River protection; contracts with nonprofit organizations. (1) Definition. In this section, "nonprofit conservation organization" means a river management organization that meets the qualifications under s. 281.70 (4) (b) or a nonprofit corporation, a charitable trust or other nonprofit association whose purposes include the protection of rivers and that is described in section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.