This bill establishes the Wisconsin Climate Corps program, a state initiative designed to create jobs in environmental restoration, home weatherization, and climate resilience projects while providing employment training for underserved communities. The program would be managed by a nonprofit organization under the oversight of a new board that includes state officials, legislators, and representatives from conservation and youth training groups. Key provisions require that at least 50% of workers come from underserved populations, pay workers a minimum of $15 per hour, provide health insurance equivalent to a gold-level plan, and offer weekly housing stipends or accommodations. Projects would focus on activities such as planting trees, restoring natural lands, building community gardens, and improving energy efficiency in homes across both urban and rural areas.
This bill eliminates the $6.25 annual fishing license fee for Wisconsin resident senior citizens, making the license free for this group. To offset the lost revenue, the legislation creates a new appropriation that transfers an equal amount to the state conservation fund each fiscal year, calculated based on the number of senior fishing licenses issued multiplied by the original $7 fee amount. The changes directly affect senior citizens by removing their license cost while maintaining funding for conservation efforts through the state treasury. The bill also clarifies that there is no issuing fee for these licenses and updates related statutes to reflect the fee reduction.
SB 943 amends state zoning law to update the purpose statement guiding local zoning regulations. It adds specific priorities including ensuring access to sunlight for solar energy systems, protecting groundwater resources, promoting diverse housing types, and designing "complete streets" that safely accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers. The bill directly affects local governments (cities and counties) as they develop zoning codes and land-use plans. These changes require zoning decisions to explicitly consider these new community goals while maintaining existing standards like safety, congestion reduction, and preservation of burial sites. The bill has been introduced but not yet voted on in the legislature.
AB 1019 allows vehicle owners to purchase an annual state park admission receipt when registering or renewing their vehicle license. It adds a line on vehicle registration forms where owners can choose to pay an additional fee (with discounts for seniors or those with existing park passes). The collected fees are deposited quarterly into the conservation fund, specifically for state parks, recreation areas, and forest lands. This affects all vehicle owners in the state during registration, streamlining park access without requiring separate purchases.
SB 1005 allows vehicle owners to purchase an annual state park pass when registering or renewing their vehicle, with fees collected added to the conservation fund. It establishes three fee tiers: standard rates, discounted rates for households with existing passes, and reduced rates for senior citizens. Vehicle registration forms will include a section for selecting the park pass option, and the Department of Transportation will share purchaser lists weekly with the Department of Natural Resources. The bill directly affects all vehicle owners in the state during registration or renewal, with fees supporting state parks, recreation areas, and forest lands. Funds collected under this bill will be deposited quarterly into the conservation fund per statute.
AB 852 establishes new grants for local governments to implement farmland preservation plans, including activities like updating zoning, creating farmland agreements, and monitoring compliance. It also requires the state to automatically adjust the farmland preservation tax credit for inflation annually using agricultural price data, ensuring the credit keeps pace with rising costs. These changes directly affect Wisconsin farmers who claim the tax credit and local governments (counties, cities, tribes) that receive implementation grants. The bill creates specific funding mechanisms through the working lands fund and sets eligibility criteria for grant recipients based on plan alignment and project effectiveness.
AB 851 authorizes $25 million from the capital improvement fund to purchase agricultural conservation easements, which are agreements that limit development on farmland to preserve agricultural use. The bill creates new funding mechanisms (20.115 (7) (br) and (tb)) to reimburse costs for these easements and specifies payment procedures for the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. It directly affects landowners selling conservation easements and state agencies administering the program. The appropriation supports farmland conservation by enabling the state to acquire easements under Section 93.73. The bill repeals an outdated statute (23.197 (15)) and amends related sections to implement these funding changes.
AB 845 creates a $2.5 million grant program for Wisconsin farmers to adopt sustainable practices that reduce fossil fuel use or store carbon in soil or vegetation. Eligible activities include cover cropping, solar-powered equipment, planting trees, or creating conservation plans. The program excludes land in retirement programs, commercial forests, or aquaculture, and requires applicants to first seek other available grants. The Department of Agriculture must prioritize small/medium farms, track carbon reductions, and publicly report grant details and environmental impacts annually.
SB 854 creates a new funding line to support county conservation staff focused on climate change resiliency. It directly affects counties with approved land and water resource management plans, requiring them to request funding for climate-focused personnel in annual grant applications. The bill adds a specific appropriation of $1.8 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year under statute 20.115(7)(f) for "soil and water management; climate change personnel." This establishes a dedicated funding mechanism for counties to hire or retain staff addressing climate impacts, separate from existing conservation program funding.
AB 875 creates a new funding line for county conservation staff focused on climate change resiliency. It directly affects counties that have approved land and water conservation plans and choose to allocate matching funds. The bill adds "climate change personnel" as a specific budget item under soil and water management, requiring counties to specifically request funding for these roles in their annual grant applications to the Department of Agriculture. This changes how counties can use state grants by mandating explicit requests for climate-focused staff positions within their conservation planning process. The bill appropriates $1.8 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year for this purpose.
