Wisconsin Code § 70.114

Aids on certain state lands equivalent to property taxes
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(1) DEFINITIONS. In this section:
(a) “Department” means the department of natural resources.
(b) 1. For land purchased before July 1 2011, “estimated
value,” for the year during which land is purchased, means the
purchase price and, for later years, means the value that was used
for calculating the aid payment under this section for the prior
year increased or decreased to reflect the annual percentage
change in the equalized valuation of all property, excluding improvements, in the taxation district, as determined by comparing
the most recent determination of equalized valuation under s.
70.57 for that property to the next preceding determination of
equalized valuation under s. 70.57 for that property.
2. For land purchased on or after July 1, 2011, “estimated
value,” for the year during which land is purchased, means the
lesser of the purchase price or the determination of the land’s
equalized valuation under s. 70.57 in the year before the year during which the land is purchased, increased or decreased to reflect
the annual percentage change in the equalized valuation of all
property, excluding improvements, in the taxation district, as determined by comparing the most recent determination of equalized valuation under s. 70.57 for that property, except that if the
land was exempt from taxation in the year prior to the year during
which the Department purchased the land, or enrolled in the forest cropland program under subch. I of ch. 77 or the managed forest land program under subch. VI of ch. 77 at the time of purchase, “estimated value,” for the year during which the land is
purchased means the lesser of the purchase price or an amount
that would result in a payment under sub. (4) that is equal to $10
per acre. “Estimated value,” for later years, means the value that
was used for calculating the aid payment under this section for the
prior year increased or decreased to reflect the annual percentage
change in the equalized valuation of all property, excluding improvements, in the taxation district, as determined by comparing
the most recent determination of equalized valuation under s.
70.57 for that property to the next preceding determination of
equalized valuation under s. 70.57 for that property.
(c) “Land” means state forests, as defined in s. 28.02 (1), that
are acquired after December 31, 1991, state parks that are acquired after December 31, 1991, under s. 27.01 and other areas
that are acquired after December 31, 1991, under s. 23.09 (2) (d),
23.091, 23.27, 23.29, 23.293, 23.31 or 29.749 (1).
(d) “Purchase price” means the amount paid by the department for a fee simple interest in real property. “Purchase price”
does not include administrative costs incurred by the department
to acquire the land, such as legal fees, appraisal costs or recording
fees. If real estate is transferred to the department by gift or is
sold to the department for an amount that is less than the estimated fair market value of the property as shown on the property
tax bill prepared for the prior year under s. 74.09, “purchase
price” means an amount equal to the estimated fair market value
of the property as shown on that tax bill. If the real estate is exempt from taxation at the time that it is transferred or sold to the
department and if the property was not sold at an arm’s-length
sale, “purchase price” means the fair market value of the real estate at the time that the department takes title to it.
(e) “Taxation district” means a city, village or town, except
that if a city or village lies in more than one county, the portions

of that city or village that lie within each county are separate taxation districts.
(f) “Taxing jurisdiction” means any entity, not including the
state, authorized by law to levy taxes on general property, as defined in s. 70.02, that are measured by the property’s value.
(2) APPLICATION. For all land acquired after December 31,
1991, the department shall pay aids in lieu of taxes under this section and not under s. 70.113.
(3) ASCERTAINING RATE. Each year, the department shall ascertain the aggregate net general property tax rate for taxation
districts to which aids are paid under this section.
(4) PAYMENT REQUIRED. (a) Except as provided under par.
(c), on or before January 31, the department shall pay to each
treasurer of a taxation district, with respect to each parcel of land
acquired by the department within the taxation district on or before January 1 of the preceding year, the greater of an amount determined by multiplying each parcel’s estimated value equated to
the average level of assessment in the taxation district by the aggregate net general property tax rate that would apply to the parcel of land if it were taxable, as shown on property tax bills prepared for that year under s. 74.09, or three dollars and fifty cents
per acre.
(b) On or before February 15, the taxation district treasurer
shall pay to the treasurer of each taxing jurisdiction, from the
amount received under par. (a), the taxing jurisdiction’s proportionate share of the tax that would be levied on the parcel if it
were taxable.
(c) The department shall withhold from the payment amount
determined under par. (a) the state’s proportionate share of the
tax that would be levied on the parcel if it were taxable and shall
deposit that amount into the conservation fund.

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