This chapter is adopted to maintain safe and healthful conditions,
to prevent and control water pollution, to protect fish spawning grounds,
fish and aquatic life and wildlife habitation, to preserve shore cover
and natural beauty and to control building and development in wetlands
whenever possible. When development is permitted in a wetland, the
development should occur in a manner which minimizes adverse impacts
upon the wetland.
The following maps are hereby adopted and made a part of this
chapter:
A. Wisconsin Wetland Inventory Maps.
B. Floodplain zoning maps dated November 16, 2011.
C. United States Geological Survey maps.
The following uses are permitted subject to the provisions of Chapters
30 and 31, Wis. Stats., and the provisions of other local, state and federal laws, if applicable:
A. Activities and uses which do not require the issuance of a land use
permit, provided that no wetland alteration occurs:
(1) Hiking, fishing, trapping, hunting, swimming, snowmobiling and boating;
(2) The harvesting of wild crops, such as marsh hay, ferns, moss, wild
rice, berries, tree fruits and tree seeds, in a manner that is not
injurious to the natural reproduction of such crops;
(3) The practice of silviculture, including the planting, thinning and
harvesting of timber;
(4) The pasturing of livestock;
(5) The cultivation of agricultural crops; and
(6) The construction and maintenance of duck blinds.
B. Uses which do not require the issuance of a land use permit and which
may involve wetland alterations only to the extent specifically provided
below:
(1) The practice of silviculture, including limited temporary water level
stabilization measures which are necessary to alleviate abnormally
wet or dry conditions that would have an adverse impact on the conduct
of silvicultural activities if not corrected;
(2) The cultivation of cranberries, including limited wetland alterations
necessary for the purpose of growing and harvesting cranberries;
(3) The maintenance and repair of existing drainage ditches, where permissible under § 30.20, Wis. Stats., or of other existing drainage systems (such as tiling) to restore preexisting levels of drainage, including the minimum amount of filling necessary to dispose of dredged spoil, provided that the filling is permissible under Chapter
30, Wis. Stats., and that dredged spoil is placed on existing spoil banks where possible;
(4) The construction and maintenance of fences for the pasturing of livestock,
including limited excavating and filling necessary for such construction
or maintenance;
(5) The construction and maintenance of piers, docks and walkways, observation
decks and trail bridges built on pilings, including limited excavating
and filling necessary for such construction or maintenance;
(6) The installation and maintenance of sealed tiles for the purpose of draining lands outside the shoreland-wetland zoning district provided that such installation or maintenance is done in a manner designed to minimize the adverse impact upon the natural functions of the shoreland-wetland listed in §
620-23C of this chapter; and
(7) The maintenance, repair, replacement and reconstruction of existing
highways and bridges, including limited excavating and filling necessary
for such maintenance, repair, replacement or reconstruction.
C. Uses which are allowed upon the issuance of a conditional use permit
and which may include wetland alterations only to the extent specifically
provided below:
(1) The construction and maintenance of roads which are necessary for
the continuity of the municipal street system, the provision of essential
utility and emergency services or to provide access to uses permitted
in this section, provided that:
(a)
The road cannot, as a practical matter, be located outside the
wetland;
(b)
The road is designed and constructed to minimize the adverse impact upon the natural functions of the wetland listed in §
620-23C of this chapter;
(c)
The road is designed and constructed with the minimum cross-sectional
area practical to serve the intended use;
(d)
Road construction activities are carried out in the immediate
area of the roadbed only; and
(e)
Any wetland alteration must be necessary for the construction
or maintenance of the road.
(2) The construction and maintenance of nonresidential buildings, provided
that:
(a)
The building is used solely in conjunction with a use permitted
in the shoreland-wetland district or for the raising of waterfowl,
minnows or other wetland or aquatic animals;
(b)
The building cannot, as a practical matter, be located outside
the wetland;
(c)
The building does not exceed 500 square feet in floor area;
and
(d)
Only limited filling and excavating necessary to provide structural
support for the building is allowed.
(3) The establishment and development of public and private parks and
recreation areas, outdoor education areas, historic, natural and scientific
areas, game refuges and closed areas, fish and wildlife habitat improvement
projects, game bird and animal farms, wildlife preserves and public
boat launching ramps, provided that:
(a)
Any private development allowed under this subsection shall
be used exclusively for the permitted purpose;
(b)
Only limited filling and excavating necessary for the development
of public boat launching ramps, swimming beaches or the construction
of park shelters or similar structures is allowed;
(c)
The construction and maintenance of roads necessary for the uses permitted under this paragraph are allowed only where such construction and maintenance meets the criteria in Subsection
C(1) of this section; and
(d)
Wetland alterations in game refuges and closed areas, fish and
wildlife habitat improvement projects, game bird and animal farms,
wildlife preserves shall be for the purpose of improving wildlife
habitat or to otherwise enhance wetland values.
(4) The construction and maintenance of electric and telephone transmission
lines and water, gas and sewer distribution lines, and related facilities,
provided that:
(a)
The transmission and distribution lines and related facilities
cannot, as a practical matter, be located outside the wetland;
(b)
Only limited filling or excavating necessary for such construction
or maintenance is allowed; and
(c)
Such construction or maintenance is done in a manner designed to minimize the adverse impact upon the natural functions of the wetland listed in §
620-23C of this chapter.
(5) The construction and maintenance of railroad lines, provided that:
(a)
The railroad lines cannot, as a practical matter, be located
outside the wetland;
(b)
Only limited wetland alteration necessary for such construction
or maintenance is allowed; and
(c)
Such construction or maintenance is done in a manner designed to minimize the adverse impact upon the natural functions of the wetland as listed in §
620-23 of this chapter.
The existing lawful use of a structure, building or property,
or its accessory use, which is not in conformity with the provisions
of this chapter may be continued subject to the following conditions:
A. The shoreland-wetland provisions of this chapter authorized by § 62.231,
Wis. Stats., shall not limit the repair, reconstruction, renovation,
remodeling or expansion of a nonconforming structure in existence
on the effective date of the shoreland-wetland provisions, or of any
environmental control facility in existence on May 7, 1982, related
to such a structure. All other modifications to nonconforming structures
are subject to § 62.23(7)(h), Wis. Stats., which limits
total lifetime structural repairs and alterations to 50% of current
fair market value.
B. If a nonconforming use or the use of a nonconforming structure is
discontinued for 12 consecutive months, any future use of the building,
structure or property shall conform to the appropriate provisions
of this chapter.
C. Any legal nonconforming use of property which does not involve the
use of a structure and which existed at the time of the adoption or
subsequent amendment of this chapter adopted under § 62.231
or 61.351, Wis. Stats., may be continued although such use does not
conform with the provisions of this chapter. However, such nonconforming
use may not be extended.
D. The maintenance and repair of nonconforming boathouses which are
located below the ordinary high-water mark of any navigable waters
shall comply with the requirements of § 30.121, Wis. Stats.
E. Uses which are nuisances under common law shall not be permitted
to continue as nonconforming uses.
F. Restoration of certain nonconforming structures.
(1) The restrictions that are applicable to damaged or destroyed nonconforming structures and that are contained in this chapter shall not prohibit the restoration of a nonconforming structure if the structure will be restored to the size, subject to Subsection
F(2), location, and use that it had immediately before the damage or destruction occurred, or impose any limits on the costs of the repair, reconstruction, or improvement, if all of the following apply:
(a) The nonconforming structure was damaged or destroyed on or after
March 2, 2006.
(b) The damage or destruction was caused by violent wind, vandalism,
fire, flood, ice, snow, mold, or infestation.
(2) The
size of a structure may be larger than the size it was immediately
before the damage or destruction if necessary for the structure to
comply with applicable state or federal requirements.