Opinion ID: 2224144
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Legislative History of Sec. 30.12 (2) (a), Stats.

Text: To determine the legal issues raised by this controversy it is first necessary to describe the context in which the PSC considered the permit application by the appellant. This necessitates reviewing the legislative history of the applicable statute. Sec. 30.02 (1) (b), Stats. (now part of sec. 30.12) was inserted in the statutes by the 1933 legislature providing that: (b) It shall be unlawful to deposit any material or to place any structures upon the bed of any navigable water where no shore line has been established or beyond such shore line where the same has been established. [5] The common law of Wisconsin was to the same effect. [6] In 1949, the legislature first provided for the issuance of permits to build structures on the beds of navigable waters. In that year, pursuant to ch. 335 of the Session Laws of 1949, sec. 30.02 (1) (b) was amended to read as follows: 30.02 (1) (b) It shall be unlawful to deposit any material or to place any structures upon the bed of any navigable water where no shore line has been established or beyond such shore line where the same has been established, provided however, that the public service commission may grant to any riparian owner the right to build a structure, or to maintain a structure already built and now existing, for his own use, if the same does not materially obstruct navigation. Upon complaint by any person, the public service commission shall hold a hearing thereon to determine whether or not such present structure, or one proposed to be built, does materially obstruct navigation. That section was again changed by ch. 712 of the Session Laws of 1951 to read as follows: 30.02 (1) (b) It shall be unlawful to deposit any material or to place any structures upon the bed of any navigable water where no shore line has been established or beyond such shore line where the same has been established, provided, however, that the public service commission may grant to any riparian owner the right to build a structure, or to maintain a structure already built and now existing, for his own use, if the same does not materially obstruct navigation, or reduce the effective flood flow capacity of the steam or is not detrimental to the public interest. Upon complaint by any person, the public service commission shall hold a hearing thereon to determine whether or not such present structure, or one proposed to be built, does materially obstruct navigation, or reduces the effective flood flow capacity of the stream or is detrimental to the public interest. The law remained unchanged until after the submission of the 1959 report of the Wisconsin Legislative Council, which proposed the replacement of sec. 30.02 (1) (b) by the new sec. 30.12 (2) (a), the statute applicable in this case. The revised language incorporated in ch. 441 of the Laws of 1959 provided as follows under sec. 30.12 (2) (a): (2) PERMITS TO PLACE STRUCTURES OR DEPOSITS IN NAVIGABLE WATERS. (a) The public service commission may, upon application and after notice and hearing, grant to any riparian owner a permit to build or maintain for his own use a structure otherwise prohibited by statute, provided such structure does not materially obstruct navigation or reduce the effective flood flow capacity of a stream and is not detrimental to the public interest. Accordingly, the statute applicable here provides for the issuance of a permit such as the one sought by the appellant to fill in the bed of Plum lake (a navigable lake) . The PSC was granted authority to issue such permits provided the proposed structure did not materially obstruct navigation or reduce the effective flood flow capacity of a stream (not here applicable), and was not detrimental to the public interest.