County Conservation Aids

(s. 23.09 (12), Wis. Stats., and ch. NR 50, Wis. Admin. Code)

The County Conservation Aids grant program provides financial assistance to enhance county fish and wildlife programs.

1. Introduction
2. Eligible applicants
3. How to apply
4. DNR Regional Contacts
5. Annual allocation of state funds
6. Eligible projects
7. State cost share of project
8. Eligible applicant share
9. Ineligible project cost
10. Land acquisition information
11. During the grant period
12. Payment reimbursement
13. Record keeping requirements
14. Appendix: DNR Forms

Introduction:

This Fish and Wildlife Management Grant Program was created to assist Wisconsin Counties in the improvement of the fish and wildlife resources. The Fund was established by the Wisconsin Legislature in 1965 as an alternative to highly questionable bounty payments on coyote, foxes and bobcats. Every year since the bounty program was cancelled, a state allocation equal to the average annual bounty payment has been earmarked as matching money for a growing list of county sponsored fish and wildlife habitat projects.

Eligible Applicants:

County and tribal governing bodies participating in the county fish and wildlife programs.

How to Apply:

Contact your DNR Regional Grant Specialist for determination of a reasonable application deadline.

The applicant (county or tribal government) submits application (DNR Form 8700-45) with a current county or tribal board resolution delegating authority to a county or tribal committee to apply for funding or “Letter of Intent” to apply for funding to the appropriate DNR Regional Grant Specialist.

DNR Regional Contacts:

Contact the applicable DNR Regional Grant Specialist for your county location listed below if you have questions.

Southeast Region: (Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha) , Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources, 2300 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212-3128. Walter Ebersohl, phone: (414) 263-8569, email: Walter.Ebersohl@Wisconsin.Gov or James Ritchie, phone (414) 263-8670, e-mail: Jim.Ritchie@Wisconsin.gov.

South Central Region: (Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, Richland, Rock, Sauk,), Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources, 3911 Fish Hatchery Road, Fitchburg, WI 53711. Sandy Chancellor, phone: (608) 275-7760, email: Sandra.Chancellor@Wisconsin.gov

Northern Region: (Ashland, Bayfield, Barron, Burnett, Douglas, Forest, Florence, Iron, Lincoln, Langlade, Oneida, Price, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, Vilas, Washburn), Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources, 1341 2nd Avenue, Cumberland, WI 54829. Ann Loechler (715) 822-2758, email: Ann.Loechler@wisconsin.gov.

West Central Region: (Adams, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, LaCrosse, Monroe, Marathon, Pierce, Pepin, Portage, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Vernon, Wood), Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources, 1300 W. Clairemont Avenue, PO Box 4001, Eau Claire, WI 54702-4001. Karen Blodgett, phone (715) 836-6574, e-mail Karen.Blodgett@Wisconsin.gov or Elizabeth Norquist, phone (715) 839-3751, e-mail elizabeth.norquist@Wisconsin.gov

Annual Allocation of State Funds:

The revenue to operate the program comes from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and state sales tax on hunting and fishing equipment. The program allocates funds to each county in proportion to the ratio of the size of each county to the total area of the state. Funds are allocated annually to eligible applicants by resolution as stated under “How to Apply.” After annual allocation, unused funds revert to 5 regions available to county and tribal government within region boundaries. Unused region funds revert to a statewide fund on May 1 of each year to be used on additional projects statewide. Contact your DNR Regional Grant Specialist after may 1st for additional funds if available.

The current allocation for fiscal year 2012 is $148,500.00 state wide for annual allocation of funds as indicated in the following table.

Eligible Projects

A. Wildlife Management:

• Access roads
• Browse improvement cutting
• Construction of wood duck houses
• Creating cover brush piles
• Creation of impoundments, construction, nature trails
• Diking and ditching
• Fence construction
• Fencing and boundary posting for hunting areas
• Firebreak construction
• Flowage and pothole construction
• Food patches and plantings
• Food seeding
• Habitat creation or improvement
• Habitat improvement, including: brush piles, controlled burns, planting, and nesting structures
• Walking trail construction, including: seeding, mowing, and signing
• Land acquisition for habitat preservation
• Shooting range facilities which include a hunter safety program component
• Trail seeding, mowing and spraying
• Other types of projects that improve the wildlife resource and management
• Parking areas construction
• Recreation facilities useful solely for management purposes
• Specialized equipment useful solely for wildlife management purposes

B. Fish Management:

• Aquatic habitat development
• Aquatic vegetation management
• Boat launch development
• Brush shelter in lakes
• Chemical rehabilitation of waters
• Construction of fish shelters
• Construction of parking areas
• Fencing construction and boundary posting for fishing areas
• Fish stocking
• Fishing access sites
• Fishing pier or bank fishing construction
• Habitat creation or improvement
• Impoundments for fishing
• Lake, stream and spring pond rehabilitation and improvement
• Land acquisition for fish habitat preservation
• Other types of project that improve the fish resource and management
• Pond or lake dredging for habitat improvement
• Recreation facilities useful solely for fish management purposes
• Rough fish control
• Spawning area development
• Specialized equipment useful solely for fish management purposes
• Stream bank fencing
• Stream side fencing
• Spawning area development
• Stream improvement devices including bank repair and vegetation control

State Cost Share of Project

The state may pay a maximum of 50% of the eligible actual project cost.

Eligible Applicant Share of Project May Include

• Personnel, equipment and materials
• Direct cost supported by time sheets, vouchers, or similar documents
• Actual cost of force account labor and equipment (DOT rates apply)
• Actual fringe benefits paid as part of the direct labor costs

Ineligible Project Cost

• Audio/visual materials
• Cost NOT directly related to use solely for fish or wildlife management purposes
• Donated labor, materials, land or other activities which do not result in an actual expenditure by the sponsor and indirect costs are not allowable in the payment claim
• Equipment operation and maintenance costs
• Game propagation
• Pamphlets and publications
• Parks and picnic areas
• Snowmobile/ATV facilities

Land Acquisition

Land to be used for projects must be in public ownership or the county or tribal government must have a lease or agreement in writing assuring public use for the life of the project. A copy of such lease or agreement must be made a part of the application where other than public lands are to be developed.

Land values will be determined by an “Appraisal Report” to include supplemental DNR Real Estate requirements and completed by a “Certified Wisconsin Licensed General Appraiser” or “Certified Wisconsin Licensed Residential Appraiser” if the land is classified as residential. The “Appraisal Report” must be ordered and completed for the county or tribal government. Contact your DNR Regional Grant Specialist with questions and guidance materials for proceeding with a project that involves land acquisition. All “Appraisal Reports” are subject to DNR Real Estate Specialist review for DNR determination of value and must be coordinated with the DNR Regional Grant Specialist. The payment reimbursement of state share may NOT exceed 50% of the DNR determined value.

During the Grant Period

All new projects will have a designated beginning and ending date and should be written for a period of time which is logical for the work to be done. Projects may be amended for funds, scope or time. When amending for scope or funds, be sure the project period is long enough to complete work. Expenditures must be within the project period, project scope, and project amount as shown on the project agreement. Request for a project extension must be submitted to the appropriate DNR Regional Grant Specialist prior to the project termination date.

Payment Reimbursement

No expenditure made prior to the effective date of the appropriate DNR Regional Grant Specialist approval will be allowed and all work must be done within the project period, except pre-approval engineering can be paid if specified in the agreement.

Payment reimbursement claims may be submitted for partial payment or upon completion of the project. The DNR preferred timeline for submitting payment reimbursement claims is no later than six months after the end of the project period. However, payment reimbursement claims must be submitted within one year of the project ending date or the project will be cancelled.

Upon completion (or partial useful completion) of project, the county or tribal government may submit claim to the DNR Grant Specialist for payment on the following two DNR forms within 6 months of the project end date: See instructions for completion and provisions of expenditure proofs included with the forms.

1. DNR Form 8700-001, Grant Payment Request
2. DNR Form 8700-002, Grant Payment Worksheet

Record Keeping Requirements

The county and tribal government must maintain records for audit requirements a minimum of 3 years after the final payment.

Appendix

• Application - Form 8700-45, Aids Application
• Payment Reimbursement: DNR Form 8700-01, Grant Payment Request
• Payment Reimbursement: DNR Form 8700-02, Grant Payment Worksheet