Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship Program Informational Paper 62 Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau January, 2015 1 Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship Program Prepared by Erin Probst Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau One East Main, Suite 301 Madison, WI 53703 http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Program Funding and General Requirements ............................................................................................... 3 Stewardship 2000 and Reauthorized Stewardship Program ......................................................................... 7 Land Acquisition Subprogram .............................................................................................................. 8 Recent Major DNR Land Acquisitions ............................................................................................... 16 Property Development and Local Assistance Subprogram ................................................................ 20 Recreational Boating Aids Subprogram ............................................................................................. 26 Baraboo Hills Subprogram ................................................................................................................. 26 Bluff Protection Subprogram .............................................................................................................. 26 Current Subprogram Allocations ........................................................................................................ 26 Grants to Nonprofit Conservation Organizations ....................................................................................... 27 Public Access on Stewardship Lands .......................................................................................................... 30 Stewardship Earmarks ................................................................................................................................ 38 Stewardship Program Oversight ................................................................................................................. 41 Stewardship Debt Service ........................................................................................................................... 43 Appraised Versus Assessed Value .............................................................................................................. 44 Aids in Lieu of Property Taxes ................................................................................................................... 46 Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program ............................................................................................ 49 Appendices .................................................................................................................................................. 49 Appendix I Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship Program Expenditures by Fiscal Year (Fiscal Years 2004-05 through 2013-14) ............... 51 Appendix II DNR Land Acquisitions Under Stewardship by County as of June 30, 2014 ......................................................................................................... 52 Appendix III DNR Land Acquisitions Under Stewardship with Purchase Price > $5 million ........ 54 Appendix IV DNR Grant Program Activity Under Stewardship by County as of June 30, 2014 ....................................................................................................... 57 Appendix V Stewardship Major Property Development Projects .................................................. 59 Appendix VI Stewardship Development Expenditures by State Property, 1990 - June 30, 2014 ............................................................................................ 62 Appendix VII Stewardship Public Access Requirements.................................................................. 64 Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship Program Wisconsin's first stewardship program was 2007 Act 20 extended the program to fiscal created in 1989 Act 31 to acquire land to expand year 2019-20 and increased the annual bonding nature-based outdoor recreational opportunities authority from $60 million to $86 million begin- and protect environmentally sensitive areas. Un- ning in 2010-11 (increasing the total bonding au- der the program, the Department of Natural Re- thority by $860 million, to $1,663 million). 2011 sources (DNR) acquires land and provides grants Act 32 specified that DNR may not obligate more to local units of government and non-profit or- than $60 million in each year from fiscal year ganizations for land acquisition and property de- 2011-12 through 2019-20. This reduced total au- velopment activities. The state generally issues thorized bonds for the program by $234 million 20-year tax-exempt general obligation bonds to (to $1,429 million). 2013 Act 20 reduced total support the stewardship program. General obliga- stewardship program authorized bonding by an- tion bonds are backed by the full faith and credit other $63.5 million (to $1,365.5 million) and of the issuing government (i.e., the state), and the specifies that DNR may not obligate more than government is required to use its taxing power if $47.5 million in fiscal year 2013-14, not more necessary to repay the debt. Annual debt service than $54.5 million in fiscal year 2014-15 and in payments for principal and interest on steward- fiscal year 2015-16, and not more than $50 mil- ship bonds are primarily funded from general lion in each year from 2016-17 through 2019-20. purpose revenues (GPR), with a portion paid Beginning in fiscal year 2011-12, any remaining from the segregated (SEG) conservation fund. unobligated bonding authority may not be used in future fiscal years, effectively reducing the total In 1989 Act 31, the Legislature authorized authorized bonding of the stewardship program $250 million of general obligation bonding below the statutorily enumerated total (currently (reduced to $231 million by 1995 Act 27 due to $1,365.5 million). While DNR has some discre- anticipated federal funding) for the original tion over the use of funds, the general allocations stewardship program over a 10-year period under the stewardship program are shown in Ta- through 1999-2000. 1993 Act 343 renamed the ble 1. program the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship Program. As of June 30, 2014, the Department of Natu- ral Resources (DNR) owned approximately 1.5 Through 1999 Act 9, the program was reau- million acres of land, which represents approxi- thorized as the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson mately 4.3% of the state's land area (34.76 mil- Stewardship 2000 Program, with maximum total lion acres). The DNR ownership represents ap- public debt contracted under the program set at proximately 25% of the publicly-owned conser- $460 million (with $46 million annual bonding vation land in Wisconsin. from fiscal years 2000-01 through 2009-10). Un- der 2001 Act 16, annual authorized bonding was As of June 30, 2014, the Board of Commis- increased from $46 million to $60 million, from sioners of Public Lands (BCPL) owned approxi- fiscal year 2002-03 through 2009-10. This in- mately 76,700 acres of school trust lands, bring- creased the total authorized bonding of the reau- ing total state-owned conservation land to ap- thorized program to $572 million ($803 million proximately 1.58 million acres. BCPL’s lands are total bonding for the 20-year program). included in this total as they are open to the pub- 1 Table 1: Stewardship Program Allocations Stewardship Reauthorized Original 2000 Stewardship Total % of Total DNR Land Acquisition $140,800,000 $341,750,000 $256,000,000 $738,550,000 54.1% State Property Development 45,000,000 65,000,000 92,000,000 202,000,000 14.8 Local Assistance* 45,200,000 158,750,000 189,500,000 393,450,000 28.8 Recreational Boating 0 6,500,000 25,000,000 31,500,000 2.3 Total Allocations $231,000,000 $572,000,000 $562,500,000 $1,365,500,000 100.0% *Including grants to Non-profit Conservation Organizations (NCOs) from the land acquisition subprogram. lic for recreation (including hunting, fishing, acres (the majority of which constitutes national trapping and other nature-based outdoor recrea- forests), and county ownership (in the form of tional activities). It should be noted that BCPL county parks and forests) is estimated at approx- has a fiduciary duty to manage these lands in imately 2.5 million acres (or 42%) of the total. trust for the benefit of public education benefi- As of June 30, 2014, in addition to the 1.5 mil- ciaries. Today, a majority of these school trust lion acres owned by DNR, the Department held lands are managed for timber production and the easements on an additional 289,300 acres. Table timber revenue is deposited in the appropriate 2 summarizes public land ownership by govern- school trust funds in accordance with constitu- mental source. It should be noted that the acres tional direction. listed as federal land exclude land used for such purposes as office buildings or prisons. In addi- 2005 Act 352 allows BCPL to "bank" pro- tion, approximately 645,000 acres of tribal lands ceeds from land sales and use them for acquisi- in the state are not included in the table. Alt- tions that meet certain criteria including: (a) im- hough these lands are held in trust, they are not proving land management,