Chippewa Valley Times

The new bill authored by State Sen. Rob Stafsholt seeks to revise eligibility criteria for county forest administration grants, aiming to support qualified administrators managing county forest programs, according to the Wisconsin State Senate.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "county forest administration grant eligibility".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill modifies the eligibility criteria for county forest administration grants, retroactively effective Jan. 1, 2025. It allows grants to cover up to 50% of the salary and fringe benefits of a county forest administrator, excluding those employed by the Department of Natural Resources. A county forest administrator is defined as someone managing a county forest program who has either a bachelor's or higher degree in forestry from an accredited school or an equivalent degree, a bachelor's or higher degree in natural resources, conservation, or wildlife with three or more years of relevant experience, or an associate degree in forestry with three or more years of relevant experience.

The bill was co-authored by Representative Chanz J. Green (Republican-74th District), Senator Jesse L. James (Republican-23rd District), Senator Howard L. Marklein (Republican-17th District), Senator Cory Tomczyk (Republican-29th District). It was co-sponsored by Representative David Armstrong (Republican-67th District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), and Representative Calvin T. Callahan (Republican-35th District), along 14 other co-sponsors.

Rob Stafsholt has authored or co-authored another five bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Stafsholt, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 2021 to represent the state's 10th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Patty Schachtner.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB158	03/27/2025	County forest administration grant eligibility
SB74	02/26/2025	Ratification of the Social Work Licensure Compact. (FE)