Eligible Local Governments

Local governments and tribal governments are eligible to apply for all programs.

Eligible local governments are only those towns, villages, cities, counties, and tribal governments that have a Department approved comprehensive outdoor recreation plan or master plan which has been approved by resolution by the local governing unit or a plan of a higher unit of government. Local governments with qualifying plans receive eligibility to apply for grants for five years. If you have not submitted a plan, contact your DNR region Community Service Specialist for information about how to satisfy this requirement.

Lake sanitary districts and public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts are eligible for the Stewardship Urban Greenspace Program.

Program Requirements

Applying for and receiving a grant comes with many "strings" having to do with program requirements, the financial administration of your project, and the documentation of your expenditures. The conditions and requirements of the programs are spelled out in the grant agreement, the administrative rules for each program, and in existing state and federal laws that authorize the programs. You'll find the statutory and administrative code references noted for each program within the individual detailed program descriptions. Following is a summary of the key requirements to help you decide if these grant programs fit your local planning efforts and project.

No land can be purchased and no development project started before you have been awarded a grant.If you need to purchase the property before you receive a grant award, you must obtain a "letter of retroactivity" from your DNR region CSS before the purchase to protect the project's eligibility. For development projects you may incur costs prior to the grant award for pre-engineering and project design activities. Make sure you specify these costs on the grant application Cost Estimate Worksheet, Form 8700-14.

Land acquisition projects must be completed in accordance with land acquisition and appraisal procedures as defined in Wisconsin State Statutes as well as other related state and federal requirements.These procedures can be complex and confusing, especially if you are considering a project where contamination of the property is known or suspected. If you are considering applying for an acquisition project it is critical that you contact your DNR region CSS to discuss your project and obtain the land acquisition guidelines and appraisal guidelines prior to beginning negotiations.

Grant recipients have obligations in perpetuity. Accepting a grant for your project means that you as the grantee are agreeing to the conditions and requirements that are a part of the grant programs and have the obligation to keep the land purchased or site developed for public outdoor recreation in perpetuity.

Public access is fundamental to the grant programs.Reasonable public access is required to and upon properties purchased or developed with program funds. When there is a question, the department will determine what is appropriate and reasonable public access for a site, dependent on what outdoor recreation activities the property is going to be used for. Hours of operation should be determined according to the type of area or facility being operated and in relation to the seasons of the year.

Public use should begin ASAP.The public should get their money's worth in the expenditure of Stewardship and federal funds. When public moneys are used to acquire land for outdoor recreation use, that use should begin as soon as possible - within a few months of its acquisition. The same holds true for development projects on land being acquired with Stewardship and federal funds - they should begin as soon as possible. In the interim prior to development, it is important that the property be open to the public to the greatest extent possible for those recreation uses that the land is capable of supporting with a minimum of public investment. Delayed development should be discussed with the CSS in your region.

Development projects bidding & contracts.Grant recipients must comply with state and federal requirements for bidding and contracts for development projects. These procedures can be complex and require you to properly prepare bid documents to contain required information, publicly advertise for bids, and award contracts to the lowest qualified bidder. Federal bidding requirements must be followed on all federally funded projects. You should consult with your attorney to ensure that you are in compliance with these requirements.

Site maintenance.All areas acquired or developed with federal or state funds must receive adequate maintenance to ensure continuing public use in a safe and sanitary manner.

No non-outdoor recreation uses.Non-outdoor recreation uses (this means non-nature-based outdoor recreation for the Stewardship Programs) are not allowed on grant properties. This includes construction of structures such as fire stations, streets/highways, civic centers, libraries, museums, water towers, indoor recreation facilities, and communication towers, or non recreation use of sites such as for a landfill. To prevent problems down the road that jeopardize the funding you received, it's a good idea to thoroughly review future community needs when determining project boundaries at application time.

Selling or leasing a part of the grant property, or executing an easement on a portion of or all of the property is generally prohibited.The department or federal government (for federally assisted projects) may approve the following exceptions depending on the details of the situation and whether the non-recreation use impact to the property is outweighed by the future recreation benefit to the public.

• Short term (less than a year) continuation of an existing lease that the property sale is contingent on. u Leasing a part of a property for agricultural purposes for five years or less in an interim time period when development must be delayed or when it is a contingency of the sale.
• Granting control or partial control of land for public roads, powerline rights-of way, pipelines, sewer and water lines may be allowed depending on the impact of the action on the recreation resource with department (and the federal government, if federal funds used) approval. Land lost to outdoor recreation must be replaced with property of equal or greater recreational value and utility. Please contact your regional CSS before granting any control over or under assisted property.

Project income.Income received from a property receiving a grant must be used to further the objectives of the project as stated in the grant agreement. Income must be kept in a segregated account and used for purposes compatible with the goals and objectives of the grant program. The department may request an annual income and expenses report for the segregated account. If you anticipate selling any structures or improvements that were included in the acquisition cost, one half of all receipts shall be reimbursed to the department or deducted from the reimbursement.

All projects must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Actas well as other federal civil rights regulations. ADA requires that all aspects of each project be accessible or "barrier free".

There are fundamental differences in how accessibility in the outdoors is accommodated compared to indoors or the built environment. While restrooms, shelters, interpretive centers, and parking lots, for example, need to follow detailed ADA guidelines, other improvements such as trails, boat landings and swimming beach areas, for example, do not necessarily need to follow indoor or built environment ramp grades or surfacing requirement.

A good rule of thumb to follow is that anything constructed must not make the outdoor experience anymore difficult than what occurs naturally. Mother Nature does not have to comply with ADA, but you do!

Historic Preservation Requirements.State and federal regulations require that all assisted projects comply with historic preservation requirements. Federally funded projects must be reviewed by the state historic preservation officer (SHPO). State funded projects are subject to review by the Department of Natural Resources. Your DNR Region CSS can assist you with completing these reviews.

Federal Program Requirements.Grant projects funded with federal funds require sponsors to comply with federal guidelines, some of which exceed those requirements for state funded programs such as the Stewardship Program. Should your project qualify for a federal grant, you will be provided with a "Federal Grants Requirement Guide" explaining the requirements.

User Fees.Reasonable user fees may be charged by the sponsor to offset operation and maintenance costs. A different fee may be charged to residents or nonresidents as long as the nonresident fee does not preclude use by the nonresidents or exceed 1.5 times the resident fee.

Inspections.In general, inspections to monitor compliance with the grant program requirements rests with you, the sponsor. The sponsor is responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the area or facility and, therefore, should make inspections as needed to ensure compliance. In some cases we will ask you to perform an inspection by completing a questionnaire form. The Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service reserve the right to conduct compliance inspections. You will be contacted in person or by letter if a problem is noted.

Retention of records.All required documents used to substantiate your financial claim(s) through these programs must be retained for four (4) years from the time of project completion. This includes such items as invoices, canceled checks, contracts, bid specifications and time sheets.

Overhead power lines.All electrical or communication lines must be installed underground. Existing lines must be buried, removed, or relocated as necessary. Future lines must be underground. The sponsor may be required to provide cost data to evaluate the disposition of proposed or existing electrical or communication lines.

Other Applicable Laws.There may be other state laws or Federal Executive Orders which may affect your project - for example, Historic Preservation, Americans with Disabilities Act, Endangered Species, Water Regulatory Permits, Farmland Preservation, state or national Environmental Policy Act, Wetland Preservation, and Construction Erosion Control. Ask your DNR region CSS about compliance with these laws or orders before you submit your application.

Brownfields Site Properties.You may be able to obtain financial assistance for acquisition or development of contaminated property for recreation purposes. However, because of the complex nature of contaminated property in relation to the grant program requirements, discuss your project early on with the DNR regional CSS to determine the feasibility of grant assistance for the project. These grant programs do not reimburse clean up costs.