Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB1070 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
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5	5	2023 SENATE BILL 1070
6	6	February 26, 2024 - Introduced by Senators Q UINN, COWLES and KNODL,
7	7	cosponsored by Representatives SAPIK, MURSAU, ARMSTRONG, CALLAHAN,
8	8	GREEN, S. JOHNSON and SWEARINGEN. Referred to Committee on Housing,
9	9	Rural Issues and Forestry.
10	10	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
11	11	AN ACT relating to: county forest administration grant eligibility.
12	12	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
13	13	This bill makes a change to eligibility for a county forest administration grant.
14	14	Current law authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to make grants
15	15	to counties that have lands designated as county forest to fund 50 percent of a
16	16	professional forester for county forest administrator or assistant county forest
17	17	administrator (county forest administration grant program). Current DNR
18	18	administrative rules regulating the county forest administration grant program
19	19	define “forester” as a person, other than one employed by DNR, who has received a
20	20	bachelor's or higher degree in forestry from a school of forestry with a curriculum
21	21	accredited by the Society of American Foresters or an equivalent degree, as
22	22	determined by the chief state forester, or who is employed as a county forest
23	23	administrator or assistant county forest administrator in the administration of
24	24	county forests as of August 12, 1993. This bill replaces the administrative code term
25	25	“forester” with “county forest administrator” and defines it to mean a person
26	26	employed to manage a county forest program (excluding a DNR employee) who has
27	27	any of the following qualifications:
28	28	1. A bachelor's or higher degree in forestry from a school of forestry with a
29	29	curriculum accredited by the Society of American Foresters or an equivalent degree,
30	30	as determined by the chief state forester.
31	31	2. A bachelor's or higher degree in natural resources, conservation, or wildlife
32	32	and three or more years of experience managing a county forest program.
33	33	1 - 2 -2023 - 2024 Legislature LRB-2244/1
34	34	EHS:amn
35	35	SENATE BILL 1070
36	36	3. An associate degree in forestry and three or more years of experience
37	37	managing a county forest program.
38	38	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
39	39	enact as follows:
40	40	SECTION 1. NR 47.70 (1) of the administrative code is amended to read:
41	41	NR 47.70 (1) PURPOSE. The purpose of this section is to establish standards and
42	42	procedures for implementation of a grant program to contribute funds towards
43	43	payment of the salary and fringe benefits of a professional forester in the position of
44	44	administrator or assistant administrator of a county forest administrator and also
45	45	payment of a county's dues to a non-profit organization that provides leadership and
46	46	counsel to a county forest administrator and serves as an organizational liaison to
47	47	the department.
48	48	SECTION 2. NR 47.70 (2) (dm) of the administrative code is created to read:
49	49	NR 47.70 (2) (dm) “County forest administrator” means an individual who is
50	50	employed to manage a county forest program under ss. 28.10 and 28.11, Stats., and
51	51	who has any of the following qualifications, except that it does not include an
52	52	individual who is employed by the department:
53	53	1. A bachelor's or higher degree in forestry from a school of forestry with a
54	54	curriculum accredited by the Society of American Foresters or an equivalent degree,
55	55	as determined by the chief state forester.
56	56	2. A bachelor's or higher degree in natural resources, conservation, or wildlife
57	57	and 3 or more years of experience managing a county forest program under ss. 28.10
58	58	and 28.11, Stats.
59	59	3. An associate degree in forestry and 3 or more years of experience managing
60	60	a county forest program under ss. 28.10 and 28.11, Stats.
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84	84	SECTION 3
85	85	SENATE BILL 1070
86	86	SECTION 3. NR 47.70 (2) (e) of the administrative code is repealed.
87	87	SECTION 4. NR 47.70 (2) (h) of the administrative code is amended to read:
88	88	NR 47.70 (2) (h) “Independent consulting forester" means a forester, as
89	89	described in par. (e) defined in s. NR 1.21 (2) (e), who provides a variety of
90	90	professional forestry services on a contract or fee basis and is employed by a county.
91	91	SECTION 5. NR 47.70 (3) (c) of the administrative code is amended to read:
92	92	NR 47.70 (3) (c) Except as provided in par. pars. (d) and (e), a grant shall be
93	93	limited to funding annual salary and fringe benefits for a forester county forest
94	94	administrator employed by a county and a county's annual dues to a non-profit
95	95	organization representing their county forest interests.
96	96	SECTION 6. NR 47.70 (3) (d) of the administrative code is amended to read:
97	97	NR 47.70 (3) (d) A grant under this section may be awarded to a county to
98	98	contribute to the funding of an independent consulting forester or the salary of a
99	99	forester county forest administrator shared between 2 counties.
100	100	SECTION 7. NR 47.70 (4) (a) of the administrative code is amended to read:
101	101	NR 47.70 (4) (a) An annual grant award to a county may not exceed 50% of the
102	102	position's annual salary and fringe benefits. Fringe benefit costs may not exceed 40%
103	103	of the forester's county forest administrator's salary.
104	104	(END)
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