Current through August 26, 2024
(1) PURPOSE. The
purpose of this section is to implement and administer project loans under s.
28.11(8) (b) 2, Stats., pertaining to county forest
operations.
(2) APPLICABILITY. This
section is applicable to those counties which have land entered under s.
28.11(4),
Stats., as county forest and which apply for a county forest project
loan.
(3) ELIGIBILITY. To be
eligible for a county forest project loan:
(a) Projects shall be economically productive
forest operations, including land acquisition.
(b) Projects shall be consistent with the
county's 10 year comprehensive land use plan under s.
28.11,
Stats.
(c) Loans may not be used
for construction of recreational facilities or for fish or wildlife management
projects.
(4)
APPLICATION PROCEDURES.
(a) A county may
apply for project loans under this section for the purposes described in sub.
(3). The application shall include but is not limited to:
1. An approved county board resolution
specifying the county's decision to apply for a county forest project
loan.
2. The project specifications
including: maps, a short narrative, and an estimated cost breakdown including
any county contributions.
3. Any
other information the department feels necessary and requests within 20 days
following receipt of the application.
4. Applications shall be filed by the county
with the department of natural resources, bureau of forestry.
Note The mailing address is WI DNR, Bureau of
Forestry, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921 Attn: County Forest
Specialist.
(5) APPLICATION DEADLINE; DECISIONS ON
APPLICATIONS.
(a) Project loans shall be
awarded annually on a fiscal year basis and applications shall be accepted
during the application periods in this section. The first application period
shall be from July 1 to August 15. Decisions on those applications shall be
made in accordance with sub. (6) no later than the following September
15.
(b) The second application
period shall be from August 16 to December 1. Decisions on those applications
shall be made no later than the following January 1.
(c) Notwithstanding sub. (6), all other
applications received from December 2 to June 30 shall be approved on a
first-come, first-serve basis.
(d)
A county may apply more than once in any given calendar year.
(6) SELECTION CRITERIA.
(a) Preference shall be given to projects as
follows:
1. First preference: Land
acquisition
2. Second preference:
Land management activities including but not limited to:
a. Tree planting;
b. Direct seeding;
c. Site preparation for
regeneration;
d. Noncommercial
thinnings of forest stands;
e.
Release from competing vegetation (conifers or hardwoods both artificially or
naturally regenerated).
f. Land
management equipment including tree planters, scarifier and other management
equipment.
g. Pruning.
3. Third preference: Land
information activities including but not limited to:
a. Vegetative/animal inventories;
b. Geographic information systems including
computer hardware, software and digitizing of forest management
information;
c. Aerial photo
purchases.
4. Fourth
preference: Capital purchases/improvements including but not limited to:
a. Roads/access construction and
maintenance;
b. Buildings
construction and maintenance.
(b) Within a preference category, projects
shall be prioritized in ascending order, with projects in counties that have
most recently received project loans given lowest priority and projects in
counties that have not received loans previously given highest
priority.
(c) For applications in
the same preference category except as provided under par. (b), preference
shall be selected by lottery.
(d)
If after ranking a project loan application in accordance with pars. (b) and
(c) only partial funding is available due to insufficient funds, the department
shall offer the applicant the choice of receiving partial funding for the
project up to the amount of available funding or withdrawing the
application.
(7)
APPROVED PROJECT MODIFICATIONS. Project loans may be modified regarding the
type of activities to be funded and the date and type of loan disbursements
with written approval from the department. Requests for an increase in the loan
amount shall be accompanied by a county board resolution authorizing the
request.
(8) FUNDING RATES AND
CONSTRAINTS.
(a) Payment of all loans shall
be made at project completion unless an advance payment has been made by the
department.
(b) An advance payment
of not more than 75% of the loan amount may be paid upon mutual agreement of
the applicant and department.
(c)
The recipient shall submit information requested by and satisfactory to the
department demonstrating project completion.
(d) A loan may be approved with payments in 2
consecutive fiscal years as long as the payment in each year does not exceed
25% of the total available funds for the year, except funding may exceed the
25% limit by applying all funds not applied for and remaining available
following April 15 of each year not to exceed the application total.
Note A loan in the amount of $100,000 each
year is approved even though the application was for $200,000 each year. If
after April 15 the account balance is $100,000, that money would be sent to
fulfill that year of application amount.
(9) PROJECT COMPLETION ACCOUNTABILITY AND
AUDIT PROCEDURES.
(a) Project loan funds may
be spent only on project identified costs and in compliance with the provisions
of the loan agreement.
(b) All loan
records shall be audited with the normal departmental audit of the county
forest program.
(c) An approved
project may not exceed 2 years in length unless written approval is obtained
from the department.
(10) PROJECT AGREEMENT. Recipients of project
loans under this section shall enter into and comply with a project loan
agreement containing provisions consistent with s.
28.11(8) (b) 2, Stats., this section and mutual
obligations with regard to a portion or all of a specific project.
