2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE
February 7, 2014 - Introduced by Senators Tiffany, Petrowski, Cowles, Jauch,
Harsdorf, Lassa, Schultz, Vinehout and Moulton, cosponsored by
Representatives Mursau, Krug, Czaja, Spiros, Nerison, Brooks, Marklein,
Swearingen, Williams, Bewley, Danou, Clark and Milroy. Referred to Joint
Committee on Finance.
SB575,1,5 1An Act to renumber and amend 28.11 (8) (a); to amend 74.25 (1) (a) 6., 74.30
2(1) (f) and 77.89 (2) (b); and to create 28.11 (8) (a) 2. and 77.89 (2) (c) of the
3statutes; relating to: payments to counties for designated county forest lands
4and distribution of amounts paid to municipalities by owners of closed managed
5forest lands.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under the Managed Forest Land Program administered by the Department of
Natural Resources (DNR), the owner of a parcel of land designated as managed forest
land (MFL) makes an annual acreage share payment that is lower than, and in lieu
of, the property taxes that normally would be payable on the land. In exchange, the
owner must comply with certain forestry practices. The owner may keep a specific
area of the MFL closed to public access, but the owner must keep the remainder of
the MFL open for recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, and cross-country
skiing. For MFL that is closed to the public, the MFL owner must make a payment
that is in addition to the acreage share payment (closed acreage fees).
Under current law, the entire amount that is collected as closed acreage fees is
collected by the applicable taxation district and transferred to an applicable county,
which in turn transfers the payments to DNR for deposit into the conservation fund.
Under this bill, in 2014 only, the taxation district is required to pay 75 percent of the
closed acreage fees to DNR. The bill provides that of the remaining 25 percent
collected by the taxation district, the taxation district must pay 20 percent to the
county.

Current law also requires DNR to pay each town treasurer 30 cents per acre of
land in that town that is designated as county forest land. This bill increases those
payments to 55 cents per acre beginning with payments made in 2014 for land
designated as county forest land as of June 30, 2013.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB575,1 1Section 1. 28.11 (8) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 28.11 (8) (a) 1. and
2amended to read:
SB575,2,83 28.11 (8) (a) 1. As Except as provided in subd. 2., as soon after April 20 of each
4year as feasible, the department shall pay to each town treasurer 30 cents per acre,
5based on the acreage of such lands as of the preceding June 30, as a grant out of the
6appropriation made by s. 20.370 (5) (bv) on each acre of county lands entered under
7this section. This subdivision does not apply to payments required to be paid by the
8department after 2013.
SB575,2 9Section 2. 28.11 (8) (a) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
SB575,2,1410 28.11 (8) (a) 2. As soon after April 20, 2014, as feasible, and as soon after April
1120 of each year thereafter as feasible, the department shall pay to each town
12treasurer 55 cents per acre, based on the acreage of such lands as of the preceding
13June 30, as a grant out of the appropriation made by s. 20.370 (5) (bv) on each acre
14of county lands entered under this section.
SB575,3 15Section 3. 74.25 (1) (a) 6. of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin Act 81,
16is amended to read:
SB575,3,217 74.25 (1) (a) 6. Pay to the county treasurer 20% of collections of occupational
18taxes on coal docks, 20% of collections of the taxes imposed under ss. 77.04 and 77.84

1(2) (a) and (am), and all collections of payments for lands under s. 77.84 (2) (b), (bm),
2and (bp), except as provided in s. 77.89 (2) (c).
SB575,4 3Section 4. 74.30 (1) (f) of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin Act 81,
4is amended to read:
SB575,3,85 74.30 (1) (f) Pay to the county treasurer 20% of collections of occupational taxes
6on coal docks, 20% of collections of the taxes imposed under ss. 77.04 and 77.84 (2)
7(a) and (am), and all collections of payments for lands under s. 77.84 (2) (b), (bm), and
8(bp), except as provided in s. 77.89 (2) (c).
SB575,5 9Section 5. 77.89 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB575,3,1610 77.89 (2) (b) The Except as provided in par. (c), the municipal treasurer shall
11pay all amounts received under s. 77.84 (2) (b) and (bm) to the county treasurer, as
12provided under ss. 74.25 and 74.30. The county treasurer shall, by June 30 of each
13year, pay all amounts received under this paragraph to the department. All amounts
14received by the department shall be credited to the conservation fund and shall be
15reserved for land acquisition, resource management activities, and grants under s.
1677.895.
SB575,6 17Section 6. 77.89 (2) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
SB575,3,2018 77.89 (2) (c) 1. In 2014, of the amounts received under s. 77.84 (2) (b) and (bm)
19the municipal treasurer shall, by June 30, 2014, pay 75 percent of the amounts
20received under s. 77.84 (2) (b) and (bm) to the department.
SB575,3,2321 2. The municipal treasurer shall, by June 30, 2014, pay to the county treasurer
22an amount equal to 20 percent of the balance remaining after payment is made to the
23department under subd. 1., for deposit in the county treasury.
SB575,4,3
13. All amounts received by the department under subd. 1. shall be credited to
2the conservation fund and shall be reserved for land acquisition and resource
3management activities.
SB575,4,44 (End)
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