Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection › ATCP 20-54 - Agricultural Resource Management › Chapter ATCP 50 - Soil And Water Resource Management Program › Subchapter III - County Soil and Water Program › Section ATCP 50.12 - Land and water resource management plan

Current through June 24, 2024
(1) REQUIREMENT. A
				  county land conservation committee shall prepare and submit, for department
				  approval, a land and water resource management plan. The department shall
				  approve the county plan before allocating any funds to the county under subch.
				  IV.
(2) PLAN CONTENTS. A land and
				  water resource management plan shall describe all of the following in
				  reasonable detail:
(a) Water quality and soil
				  erosion conditions throughout the county, including identification of the
				  causes of water quality impairment and pollutant sources. The plan shall
				  include water quality assessments for each watershed in the county if available
				  from DNR.
(b) State and local
				  regulations that the county will use to implement the county plan.
(c) Water quality objectives for each
				  watershed, including any available pollutant load reduction targets, consistent
				  with conditions identified in par. (a) if available from DNR.
(d) Key water quality and soil erosion
				  problem areas consistent with conditions identified in par. (a).
(e) Conservation practices needed to address
				  key water quality and soil erosion problems.
(f) A plan to identify priority farms and
				  priority areas of resource concern in the county.
(g) County strategies to encourage voluntary
				  implementation of conservation practices under s.
				  ATCP
				  50.04. A county shall include information and
				  education, cost-sharing and other financial assistance, and technical
				  assistance needed to implement its plan.
(h) Compliance procedures, including notice,
				  hearing, enforcement, and appeal procedures, that will apply if the county
				  takes action against a landowner for failure to implement conservation
				  practices required under this chapter, ch. NR 151, or related local
				  regulations.
(i) The county's
				  multi-year workplan to achieve the objectives identified in par. (c) to
				  implement the farm conservation practices under s.
				  ATCP
				  50.04, and achieve compliance with performance
				  standards under ch. NR 151. The plan shall identify priorities, benchmarks for
				  performance, and expected costs.
(j) The measurable annual and multi-year
				  benchmarks the county will utilize to periodically monitor and measure its
				  progress in meeting performance targets and achieving plan goals and objectives
				  under the workplan in par. (i).
(jm) How a county will meet its
				  responsibilities for monitoring conservation compliance of landowners claiming
				  farmland preservation tax credits.
(k) How the county will provide information
				  and education related to land and water conservation, including information
				  related to farm conservation practices and cost-share funding.
(L) How the county will coordinate its land
				  and water conservation program with federal, state, and local agencies.
Note:
The department and DNR will work with
					 counties to develop more detailed guidelines and suggestions for county land
					 and water resource management plans, but individual counties have some
					 flexibility and discretion to propose plans that are appropriate for their
					 local conditions.