23.175 State trails.
(1) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Political subdivision" means a city, village, town or county.
(b) “State agency" means any office, department, agency, institution of higher education, association, society or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law which is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including any authority created under subch. II of ch. 114 or ch. 231, 233, 234, or 237 but not including the legislature or the courts.
(2) Duties of the department. The department shall:
(a) Designate a system of state trails as part of the state park system. The state trail system may also include water trails. The state trail system shall be named the “Aldo Leopold Legacy Trail System."
(b) Encourage other state agencies, political subdivisions, organizations and individuals to participate in planning, establishing, developing and maintaining state trails.
(c) Seek the advice of and consult with the state trails council regarding the planning, acquisition, development and management of state trails.
(d) Provide information to any person involved in planning, establishing, developing or maintaining state trails regarding trail design, signs and any other aspects of the trails in which uniformity is desirable.
(e) Encourage political subdivisions to develop land use plans that preserve rights-of-way for the future establishment of trails.
(f) Prepare a trail management plan.
(g) Coordinate the activities of all state agencies that own property that includes any existing or planned portion of a state trail and maintain regular contact with those state agencies.
(h) Identify portions of state trails that are proposed to be located on property owned by state agencies.
(i) Coordinate its planning efforts relating to the location, establishment, development and maintenance of state trails with the efforts of statewide, nonprofit organizations established for the purpose of planning, establishing, developing and maintaining trails.
(j) Establish priorities for trail acquisition and development with a higher priority for trails that establish connections between existing trails.
(k) Establish the state trail cleanup program under sub. (5m).
(3) Powers of the department. The department may:
(a) Develop and construct state trails on lands under its ownership.
(b) Expend an amount from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) or (tz) or both that equals any of the following:
1. The amount of a gift, grant or bequest received for a state trail under this section.
2. The fair market value of land donated for a state trail under this section.
(3m) Allocation between appropriations. For purposes of sub. (3) (b), the department shall determine how the moneys being expended are to be allocated from the appropriations under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) and (tz). The department may not allocate or expend any moneys from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (ta) before July 1, 2000.
(4) Limit on spending. Except as provided in s. 23.0915 (2), the department may not expend from the appropriation under s. 20.866 (2) (tz) more than $1,000,000 under this section for trails and for grants for this purpose under s. 23.096 in each fiscal year.
(4m) Priority for brownfields. In awarding grants for trails under s. 23.096, the department shall give higher priority for projects related to brownfields redevelopment, as defined in s. 23.09 (19) (a) 1.
(5) State land.
(a) A state agency may not refuse to permit the department to construct a portion of a state trail designated under sub. (2) on property owned by the state agency if the state agency determines that the trail does not conflict with other existing or planned uses of the property.
(b) Each state agency shall consider state trails in the long-range plans for property owned by the state agency.
(5m) State trail cleanup program.
(a) The department shall establish a state trail cleanup program to encourage community and youth organizations and other persons to volunteer for projects to remove debris and litter along designated portions of state trails.
(b) The department shall request that the organization or other person volunteering for a project under this program conduct the project for 2 years and remove debris and litter at least once a year during the 2-year period.
(c) The department shall place one sign along each designated portion of a state trail for which an organization or other person has volunteered. The sign shall state the fact that that portion of the trail is under the state trail cleanup program and the name of the organization or other person volunteering for that portion. The organization or other person volunteering for a designated portion of a state trail shall reimburse the department for the cost of the sign and its placement along that portion.
(6) Other trails. This section does not limit the authority of the department to designate other trails under s. 23.115.
History: 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 72; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16, 90; 2005 a. 335; 2007 a. 35; 2013 a. 248.