Section 51.883. Application and grant award procedures.

 

(1)  Sponsors shall submit applications on the prescribed department form. The department may consider applications as they are submitted year-round, to the extent that funds are available, or if substantially oversubscribed for available funding, the department may establish application deadlines in order to evaluate and prioritize competing applications.

(2)  Grants for the acquisition of property shall be distributed according to the standards and priorities in this subchapter.

(3)  Grants shall be awarded for any amount up to 100 percent of the purchase price paid by the sponsor plus eligible acquisition costs, or the fair market value of property plus eligible acquisition costs, whichever is less.

(4)  If a sponsor accepts a grant for any amount less than 100 percent of the fair market value of the property plus eligible acquisition costs, the remaining value shall be certified as matching property acquisition under sub. (7) (b) .

(5)  Acquisition of eligible property may occur at any time on or after October 29, 1999.

(6)  The department shall provide a grant contract to the successful sponsor that shall be signed by both the department and the sponsor before any funds can be released to the sponsor.

(7)  Grants may not be awarded until the following 2 criteria are met:

(a) The Wisconsin department of transportation has certified to the department that highway construction that will result in at least 4 traffic lanes has begun on the portion of USH 12 between the city of Middleton and the village of Sauk City.

(b) Matching property acquisition of sufficient valuation to equal or exceed the value of any grants given through this program shall be certified by the department according to department appraisal guidelines. Matching property acquisition shall meet the following requirements:

1. The acquisition shall provide for the perpetual protection of the conservation values of the matching property.

2. The funds used for the acquisition shall be federal non-transportation funds, governmental unit funds or nonprofit conservation organization funds.

3. The acquisition shall be in the Baraboo hills.

4. The acquisition shall have closed on or after October 29, 1999.

Emerg. cr. eff. 9-1-00; CR 00-135 : cr. Register July 2001, No. 547 eff. 8-1-01; CR 10-127 : am. (1), (3), (6), (7) (b) 1. Register February 2012 No. 674 , eff. 3-1-12.