Section 47.70. County forest administration grant program.

 

(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 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.

(2)   Definitions. As used in this section:

(a) "Annual plan of work" means a listing of work projects and activities agreed to by the department and the county to be performed in the upcoming calendar year in the county which involves the management of the forest resources and its attributes.

(b) "Annual salary" means the total annualized compensation paid to a county employee excluding the cost of any fringe benefits.

(c) "Cost shared administrator" means any department employee who is presently performing the duties of county forest administrator by mutual agreement of the county and the department.

(d) "County" means a county that has entered county-owned land under the county forest law, ss. 28.10 and 28.11 , Stats.

(e) "Forester" has the meaning given in s. NR 1.21 (2) (e) 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.

(f) "Fringe benefits" means the total annualized costs of a county for an employee excluding any salary.

(g) "Grant year" means the calendar year to which the grant payment applies.

(h) "Independent consulting forester" means a forester as described in par. (e) , who provides a variety of professional forestry services on a contract or fee basis and is employed by a county.

(i) "Non-profit organization" means the same as non-profit corporation, as described in s. 181.0103 (17) , Stats.

(3)   Application and grant procedure.

(a) A county may apply for a grant under the county forest administration grant program. A county shall include in an application a county board resolution authorizing the application. A county shall file the application with the department no later than January 31 of the grant year.

(b) A county that has received an initial grant under par. (a) , shall file an application and resolution, as set forth in par. (a) , to obtain a grant for each succeeding year unless the county has entered into a written agreement with the department.

(c) Except as provided in par. (d) and (e) , a grant shall be limited to funding annual salary and fringe benefits for a forester employed by a county and a county's annual dues to a non-profit organization representing their county forest interests.

(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 shared between 2 counties.

(e) A grant may not be awarded to any county receiving services from a department cost shared administrator.

(f) Grants shall be distributed no later than April 15 of the grant year.

(4)   General provisions.

(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 salary.

(b) All grant funds received from the department shall be deposited in the county state aid forestry account.

(c) Any grant funds not spent on salary or fringe benefit costs or dues to a non-profit organization representing county forest interests in the grant year shall be identified and deducted from the next year's request. If a county does not participate or is not eligible for the grant the next year, the funds shall be returned to the department.

(d) The total eligible grant amount for funding of dues to a county forest non-profit organization may not exceed $50,000 annually for all county forests collectively. If the total exceeds $50,000, this portion of the grant will be prorated equally amongst all participating counties.

(e) If the total grant which the counties are eligible for under this section exceeds funds available, the grant shall be prorated prior to distribution.

(f) The department may not make a grant to a county under this section unless all the following apply:

1. An annual plan of work is jointly developed by the department and the county.

2. The annual plan of work is consistent with the county forest 15-year comprehensive land use plan for the county.

3. The annual plan of work is approved by the county and the department.

Cr. Register, June, 1994, No. 462 , eff. 7-1-94; am. (1), (3) (a), (c), (f) and (4) (a), renum. (2) (f) and (g) and (4) (c) and (d) to be (2) (g) and (h) and (4) (d) and (e) and am. (4) (e) 1. and 3., cr. (2) (f) and (4) (c), r. and recr. (4) (b), Register, May, 1999, No. 521 , eff. 6-1-99; CR 08-046 : am. (title), (1), (3) (a), (c) and (4) (c), cr. (2) (i) and (4) (d), renum. (4) (d) and (e) to be (4) (e) and (f) and am. (4) (e) and (f) 2. Register April 2009 No. 640 , eff. 5-1-09.