Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB181 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
2	2	LRB-2538/1
3	3	EHS:klm
4	4	2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 181
5	5	April 15, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives GREEN, ARMSTRONG, BEHNKE,
6	6	CALLAHAN, HYSELL, B. JACOBSON, KRUG, MIRESSE, MURSAU, PALMERI,
7	7	PIWOWARCZYK, STROUD, SUMMERFIELD, SWEARINGEN, TITTL, TUCKER,
8	8	VANDERMEER and WICHGERS, cosponsored by Senators QUINN, STAFSHOLT,
9	9	JAMES, MARKLEIN and TOMCZYK. Referred to Committee on Forestry, Parks
10	10	and Outdoor Recreation.
11	11
12	12	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
13	13	AN ACT to renumber and amend 28.11 (5m) (a); to create 28.11 (5m) (ad) 1. of
14	14	the statutes; relating to: county forest administration grant eligibility.
15	15	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
16	16	This bill makes a change, retroactive to January 1, 2025, to eligibility for a
17	17	county forest administration grant.
18	18	Current law authorizes the Department of Natural Resources to make grants
19	19	to counties that have lands designated as county forest to fund 50 percent of the
20	20	salary and fringe benefits of a professional forester in the position of county forest
21	21	administrator or assistant county forest administrator (county forest
22	22	administration grant program). Under the bill, the grants may be used to fund 50
23	23	percent of the salary and fringe benefits of a county forest administrator. The bill
24	24	defines Xcounty forest administratorY as a person, excluding a person employed by
25	25	the department, who is employed to manage a county forest program and who has
26	26	any of the following qualifications:
27	27	1. A bachelor[s or higher degree in forestry from a school of forestry with a
28	28	curriculum accredited by the Society of American Foresters or an equivalent
29	29	degree, as determined by the chief state forester.
30	30	2. A bachelor[s or higher degree in natural resources, conservation, or wildlife
31	31	and three or more years of experience managing a county forest program.
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33	33	2 2025 - 2026 Legislature
34	34	ASSEMBLY BILL 181
35	35	- 2 - LRB-2538/1
36	36	EHS:klm
37	37	SECTION 1
38	38	3. An associate degree in forestry and three or more years of experience
39	39	managing a county forest program.
40	40	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
41	41	enact as follows:
42	42	SECTION 1. 28.11 (5m) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 28.11 (5m) (a) 2. and
43	43	amended to read:
44	44	28.11 (5m) (a) 2. The department may make grants, from the appropriation
45	45	under s. 20.370 (5) (bw), to counties having lands entered under sub. (4) to fund all
46	46	of the following for one professional forester in the position of county forest
47	47	administrator or assistant county forest administrator:
48	48	a. Up to 50 percent of the forester[s county forest administrator[s salary.
49	49	b. Up to 50 percent of the forester[s county forest administrator[s fringe
50	50	benefits, except that the fringe benefits may not exceed 40 percent of the forester[s
51	51	county forest administrator[s salary.
52	52	SECTION 2. 28.11 (5m) (a) 1. of the statutes is created to read:
53	53	28.11 (5m) (a) 1. In this paragraph, Xcounty forest administratorY means an
54	54	individual who is employed to manage a county forest program under s. 28.10 and
55	55	this section and who has any of the following qualifications, except that it does not
56	56	include an individual who is employed by the department:
57	57	a. A bachelor[s or higher degree in forestry from a school of forestry with a
58	58	curriculum accredited by the Society of American Foresters or an equivalent
59	59	degree, as determined by the chief state forester.
60	60	b. A bachelor[s or higher degree in natural resources, conservation, or wildlife
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79	79	19 2025 - 2026 Legislature
80	80	ASSEMBLY BILL 181
81	81	- 3 - LRB-2538/1
82	82	EHS:klm
83	83	SECTION 2
84	84	and 3 or more years of experience managing a county forest program under s. 28.10
85	85	and this section.
86	86	c. An associate degree in forestry and 3 or more years of experience managing
87	87	a county forest program under s. 28.10 and this section.
88	88	SECTION 3. Initial applicability.
89	89	(1) This act first applies to an application for a grant under s. 28.11 (5m) (a) 2.
90	90	submitted on the effective date of this subsection.
91	91	SECTION 4. Effective date.
92	92	(1) This act takes effect retroactive to January 1, 2025.
93	93	(END)
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