93.59 Producer-led watershed protection grants.

(1) The department shall make grants for nonpoint source pollution abatement activities conducted with the assistance of producer-led groups that comply with sub. (2). The department shall make a grant directly to the producer-led group, except that, if the group is not a legal entity, the department may only make the grant to a legal entity on behalf of the group.

(2) The department may provide a grant under sub. (1) if all of the following apply:

(a) The producer-led group includes at least 5 agricultural producers each of whom operates an eligible farm, as defined in s. 91.86 (1), in one watershed. The group may include additional agricultural producers who are not required to be operators of eligible farms.

(b) The group is formed through a memorandum of understanding with the collaborating entity under par. (c).

(c) The group collaborates with at least one of the following:

1. The department.

2. The department of natural resources.

3. A county land conservation committee.

4. The University of Wisconsin-Extension or the Discovery Farms program of the University of Wisconsin-Extension.

5. A nonprofit conservation organization.

(d) The group assists agricultural producers in the watershed under par. (a) to voluntarily conduct nonpoint source water pollution abatement activities.

(e) The group contributes matching funds equal to at least 50 percent of eligible costs.

(3) A producer-led group that receives, or on whose behalf a legal entity receives, a grant under this section shall annually file a report with the department describing the activities conducted with the grant and the impact of those activities on water quality in the watershed under sub. (2) (a).

(4) The department may promulgate rules that do all of the following:

(a) Define “legal entity" for the purposes of this section.

(b) Specify the application process for a grant under this section.

(c) Specify activities that may be conducted using a grant under this section.

(5) In any fiscal year, the department may not provide more than $40,000 to any single producer-led group or legal entity on behalf of the group.

History: 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 59; s. 35.17 correction in (title), (1), (2) (a), (3).