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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 1162
March 22, 2024 - Introduced by Representatives SAPIK, MURSAU, SWEARINGEN, S.
JOHNSON, GREEN, ARMSTRONG, CALLAHAN and EDMING, cosponsored by
Senators QUINN, COWLES and KNODL. Referred to Committee on Forestry,
Parks and Outdoor Recreation.
AN ACT relating to: county forest administration grant eligibility.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes a change to eligibility for a county forest administration grant.
Current law authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to make grants
to counties that have lands designated as county forest to fund 50 percent of a
professional forester for county forest administrator or assistant county forest
administrator (county forest administration grant program). Current DNR
administrative rules regulating the county forest administration grant program
define “forester” as a person, other than one employed by DNR, who has received a
bachelor's or higher degree in forestry from a school of forestry with a curriculum
accredited by the Society of American Foresters or an equivalent degree, as
determined by the chief state forester, or who is employed as a county forest
administrator or assistant county forest administrator in the administration of
county forests as of August 12, 1993. This bill replaces the administrative code term
“forester” with “county forest administrator” and defines it to mean a person
employed to manage a county forest program (excluding a DNR employee) who has
any of the following qualifications:
1. A bachelor's or higher degree in forestry from a school of forestry with a
curriculum accredited by the Society of American Foresters or an equivalent degree,
as determined by the chief state forester.
2. A bachelor's or higher degree in natural resources, conservation, or wildlife
and three or more years of experience managing a county forest program.
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ASSEMBLY BILL 1162
3. An associate degree in forestry and three or more years of experience
managing a county forest program.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SECTION 1. NR 47.70 (1) of the administrative code is amended to read:
NR 47.70 (1) PURPOSE. The purpose of this section is to establish standards and
procedures for implementation of a grant program to contribute funds towards
payment of the salary and fringe benefits of a professional forester in the position of
administrator or assistant administrator of a county forest administrator and also
payment of a county's dues to a non-profit organization that provides leadership and
counsel to a county forest administrator and serves as an organizational liaison to
the department.
SECTION 2. NR 47.70 (2) (dm) of the administrative code is created to read:
NR 47.70 (2) (dm) “County forest administrator” means an individual who is
employed to manage a county forest program under ss. 28.10 and 28.11, Stats., and
who has any of the following qualifications, except that it does not include an
individual who is employed by the department:
1. A bachelor's or higher degree in forestry from a school of forestry with a
curriculum accredited by the Society of American Foresters or an equivalent degree,
as determined by the chief state forester.
2. A bachelor's or higher degree in natural resources, conservation, or wildlife
and 3 or more years of experience managing a county forest program under ss. 28.10
and 28.11, Stats.
3. An associate degree in forestry and 3 or more years of experience managing
a county forest program under ss. 28.10 and 28.11, Stats.
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SECTION 3
ASSEMBLY BILL 1162
SECTION 3. NR 47.70 (2) (e) of the administrative code is repealed.
SECTION 4. NR 47.70 (2) (h) of the administrative code is amended to read:
NR 47.70 (2) (h) “Independent consulting forester" means a forester, as
described in par. (e) defined in s. NR 1.21 (2) (e), who provides a variety of
professional forestry services on a contract or fee basis and is employed by a county.
SECTION 5. NR 47.70 (3) (c) of the administrative code is amended to read:
NR 47.70 (3) (c) Except as provided in par. pars. (d) and (e), a grant shall be
limited to funding annual salary and fringe benefits for a forester county forest
administrator employed by a county and a county's annual dues to a non-profit
organization representing their county forest interests.
SECTION 6. NR 47.70 (3) (d) of the administrative code is amended to read:
NR 47.70 (3) (d) A grant under this section may be awarded to a county to
contribute to the funding of an independent consulting forester or the salary of a
forester county forest administrator shared between 2 counties.
SECTION 7. NR 47.70 (4) (a) of the administrative code is amended to read:
NR 47.70 (4) (a) An annual grant award to a county may not exceed 50% of the
position's annual salary and fringe benefits. Fringe benefit costs may not exceed 40%
of the forester's county forest administrator's salary.
(END)
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