An Act to create 20.935 of the statutes; Relating to: native prairie and forage plants.
Summary
AB291 would create a new statutory section directing state agencies, and other state governmental entities covered by the definition in the bill, to give preference where appropriate to using native prairie and forage plants. The stated purpose is to support native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators by encouraging landscaping and planting choices that better match Wisconsin’s native ecosystems.
The bill also requires the Department of Natural Resources to provide information to a state agency upon request to help implement this preference. The measure does not mandate a specific planting standard in every case; instead, it establishes a policy preference that agencies should follow when it is appropriate to do so.
Impact
AB291 would add a new policy directive to the Wisconsin statutes at s. 20.935, affecting how state agencies and similar state governmental entities approach groundskeeping, habitat restoration, landscaping, and related procurement or maintenance decisions. It would not appear to create a private right of action or impose penalties, but it would influence agency practices by favoring native prairie and forage species over nonnative or ornamental plantings when feasible. The Department of Natural Resources would have a supporting role by providing information on request.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been generally favorable in concept, with broad bipartisan sponsorship and no recorded committee transcript opposition in the provided materials. Its focus on pollinator habitat, native plants, and environmentally beneficial state land management suggests an environmentally supportive policy approach. However, the bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, indicating that despite its positive framing, it did not advance to enactment.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the bill’s use of the phrase “where appropriate,” which leaves agencies discretion and may raise questions about how strongly the preference would be applied in practice. Some stakeholders could also question whether the directive would add administrative burden, affect landscaping costs, or conflict with existing land-use, maintenance, or aesthetic priorities. No specific objections are recorded in the provided transcripts or votes, but the bill’s failure to pass shows that it did not secure final legislative approval.
A bill to remove the lesser prairie-chicken from the lists of threatened species and endangered species published pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, to amend that Act to exclude the lesser prairie-chicken from the authority of that Act, and for other purposes.
Establishes the native/pollinator planting fund and the pollinator highway program; creates a distinctive native plant and pollinator license plate with the goal of promoting the cultivation and maintenance of native flowering plants, grasses and shrubs on land bordering state highways and on other public lands.
Establishes the native/pollinator planting fund and the pollinator highway program; creates a distinctive native plant and pollinator license plate with the goal of promoting the cultivation and maintenance of native flowering plants, grasses and shrubs on land bordering state highways and on other public lands.
Prohibits planting of non-native species in landscaping at State parks and forests; establishes grant program to support use of native plants at local parks and forests; appropriates $250,000.
Prohibits planting of non-native species in landscaping at State parks and forests; establishes grant program to support use of native plants at local parks and forests; appropriates $250,000.
Directs the department of agriculture and markets, in cooperation with the department of environmental conservation, to establish standards for designation of native plants, to develop a list of native plants that indicates and differentiates between native plants that are indigenous to New York state and those that are native plants found elsewhere in the United States that are likely to shift or expand their range into NY, to establish a New York native plant designation, and to offer seals or logos identifying native plants as grown in New York state; defines "native plants".
To remove the lesser prairie-chicken from the lists of threatened species and endangered species published pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and to amend that Act to exclude the lesser prairie-chicken from the authority of that Act.