Leases of public lands
Wis. Stat. § 24.39
in effect(1) The board of commissioners of public lands may grant leases of parts or parcels of any public lands except state park lands and state forest lands; grant easements, leases to enter upon any of said lands to flow the same or to prospect for and to dig and remove therefrom ore, minerals and other deposits, and sell therefrom such timber as the board shall find necessary to prevent future loss or damage. All sales of standing live timber shall be on a selective cutting basis in line with federal forest practices. Such easements, leases, licenses and sales shall be made only for a full and fair consideration paid or to be paid to the state, the amount and terms whereof shall be fixed by said board, and such easements, leases, licenses and sales shall conform to the requirements, so far as applicable, prescribed by ch. 26 for the exercise by the department of natural resources of similar powers affecting state park lands and state forest lands.
(2) In negotiating for such leases, licenses or sales, and in exercising the other powers conferred by this section the board of commissioners of public lands shall, so far as it finds it desirable and practicable, request and make proper use of such services and information as the department of natural resources may be able to furnish.
(3) All moneys received by the board from the leasing of land under the U.S. flood control act of 1954 and subsequent amendments thereto, shall be paid into the general fund of the state within one week and are appropriated therefrom to the board to be paid to the county clerk of the county in which the leased land is located for the benefit of the general fund of such county within 30 days of its receipt by the board.
(4)
(a) Subject to pars. (c) and (d) the board of commissioners of public lands may:
1. Lease to riparian owners rights to the beds of lakes and rights to fill in beds of lakes or navigable streams, held by the state in trust for the public, when the purpose of the lease is for the improvement of navigation or for the improvement or construction of harbor facilities as defined in s. 30.01; and
2. Lease such rights to municipalities as defined in s. 30.01 and in locations where the municipality is the riparian owner, when the purpose of the lease is for the improvement or provision of recreational facilities related to navigation for public use.
(b) All revenues from such leases shall be paid into the general fund.
(c) No leases under par. (a) may be executed without a prior finding of the department of natural resources under s. 30.11 (5) that any proposed physical change in the area contemplated as the result of the execution of any term lease is consistent with the public interest in the navigable waters involved.
(d) This subsection applies only to Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers, the Fox River from Green Bay upstream to the point where it meets the Wolf River, and to the segments of all other bodies of water in which the U.S. army corps of engineers provides and maintains commercial navigation channels.
(e) Such lease shall be for a term not to exceed 50 years, and shall include therein any and all conditions and terms the board of commissioners of public lands believes to be necessary in the public interest. A lessee or the lessee’s heirs, successors or assigns of a lease which has reached the end of its term shall have first opportunity to contract with the board of commissioners of public lands for a new lease.
(f) A municipality may sublease rights leased to it under par. (a) 1. or 2. to corporations or private persons. A municipality may also make physical improvements on and above the bottoms to which rights were leased from the board of commissioners of public lands and may sublease these improvements to corporations or private persons. Any subleases under this paragraph shall be consistent with this subsection and with whatever standards or restrictions the department of natural resources, acting under s. 30.11 (5), may have found at the time of execution of the original lease by the board of commissioners of public lands to the municipality.
(g) The lease may be terminated for nonuse or for a nonconforming use any time after 5 years from date of issue, or such shorter period of time as may be specified in the lease. It may also be terminated for any other ground recognized at law for termination of a lease.
(h) All rights to submerged lands and rights above submerged lands ceded, granted, or leased to municipalities, or other persons by acts of the state that were effective prior to October 10, 1961, shall not be affected by this subsection or by s. 30.11 (5).
(i) All leases entered into by the board of commissioners of public lands under this subsection and s. 30.11 shall be deemed to be subject to this section and any other applicable laws of this state or of the United States.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/24.39Fetched: 10/7/2026