2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2139/1
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2025 SENATE BILL 158
March 27, 2025 - Introduced by Senators QUINN, STAFSHOLT, JAMES, MARKLEIN and
TOMCZYK, cosponsored by Representatives GREEN, ARMSTRONG, BEHNKE,
CALLAHAN, HYSELL, B. JACOBSON, KRUG, MIRESSE, MURSAU, PALMERI,
PIWOWARCZYK, STROUD, SUMMERFIELD, SWEARINGEN, TITTL, TUCKER,
VANDERMEER and WICHGERS. Referred to Committee on Insurance, Housing,
Rural Issues and Forestry.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
AN ACT to renumber and amend 28.11 (5m) (a); to create 28.11 (5m) (ad) 1. of
the statutes; relating to: county forest administration grant eligibility.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes a change, retroactive to January 1, 2025, 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 the
salary and fringe benefits of a professional forester in the position of county forest
administrator or assistant county forest administrator (county forest
administration grant program). Under the bill, the grants may be used to fund 50
percent of the salary and fringe benefits of a county forest administrator. The bill
defines Xcounty forest administratorY as a person, excluding a person employed by
the department, who is employed to manage a county forest program and 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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SECTION 1
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. 28.11 (5m) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 28.11 (5m) (a) 2. and
amended to read:
28.11 (5m) (a) 2. The department may make grants, from the appropriation
under s. 20.370 (5) (bw), to counties having lands entered under sub. (4) to fund all
of the following for one professional forester in the position of county forest
administrator or assistant county forest administrator:
a. Up to 50 percent of the forester[s county forest administrator[s salary.
b. Up to 50 percent of the forester[s county forest administrator[s fringe
benefits, except that the fringe benefits may not exceed 40 percent of the forester[s
county forest administrator[s salary.
SECTION 2. 28.11 (5m) (a) 1. of the statutes is created to read:
28.11 (5m) (a) 1. In this paragraph, Xcounty forest administratorY means an
individual who is employed to manage a county forest program under s. 28.10 and
this section and who has any of the following qualifications, except that it does not
include an individual who is employed by the department:
a. 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.
b. A bachelor[s or higher degree in natural resources, conservation, or wildlife
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SECTION 2
and 3 or more years of experience managing a county forest program under s. 28.10
and this section.
c. An associate degree in forestry and 3 or more years of experience managing
a county forest program under s. 28.10 and this section.
SECTION 3. Initial applicability.
(1) This act first applies to an application for a grant under s. 28.11 (5m) (a) 2.
submitted on the effective date of this subsection.
SECTION 4. Effective date.
(1) This act takes effect retroactive to January 1, 2025.
(END)
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