Preservation of marketable nonmetallic mineral deposits
Wis. Stat. § 295.20
in effect(1) Registration.
(a) Beginning on October 14, 1997, a landowner may register land owned by that person under this section if all of the following apply:
1. The land has a marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit, as evidenced by the certification of a professional geologist licensed under ch. 470 or a professional engineer registered under s. 443.04 and by any other information required under sub. (4).
2. The landowner notifies each county, city, village and town that has authority to zone the land of his or her intent to register the marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit. The notification shall include the evidence required under subd. 1.
3. Nonmetallic mining is a permitted or conditional use for the land that is proposed to be registered under any zoning that is in effect on the day on which the landowner makes the notification under subd. 2.
(b) A governmental unit that receives notification under par. (a) 2. may contest registration under this subsection, in the circuit court for a county in which the land is located, on the grounds that there is not a marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit on the land or that par. (a) 3. is not satisfied. The governmental unit has the burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that one of those grounds exists.
(c) The registration shall delineate the nonmetallic mineral deposit and is valid only if recorded in the office of the register of deeds in each county in which the nonmetallic mineral deposit is located.
(d) Except as provided under sub. (4) (d), a registration under this subsection lasts for 10 years and may be renewed as provided in the rules under sub. (4) (e).
(1m) Previously registered deposits. Land registered under sub. (1) before October 14, 1997, shall remain registered for 10 years after the initial date of registration. The registration may be renewed as provided under sub. (4) (f).
(2) Limitation on zoning.
(a) A county, city, village or town may not by zoning, rezoning, granting a variance, or other official action or inaction, permit the erection of permanent structures upon, or otherwise permit the use of, any land, while a registration under this section is in effect for that land, in a manner that would permanently interfere with the present or future extraction of the nonmetallic mineral deposit that is located on the land.
(b)
1. A county, city, village or town may enact an ordinance changing the zoning of land that is registered under this section if mining has not begun on any portion of the registered land and the ordinance is necessary to implement a master plan, comprehensive plan or land use plan that was adopted at least one year before the rezoning.
2. A zoning change authorized by subd. 1. does not apply to the registered land during the registration period in effect when the zoning ordinance takes effect or during the 10-year renewal period under sub. (4) (e) or (f) if the land is eligible for that renewal.
3. A zoning change authorized by subd. 1. prevents the registration of the land after the period under subd. 2.
(3) Exceptions. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the following:
(a) A use of land permissible under a zoning ordinance in effect on the day before a mineral deposit is registered under sub. (1).
(b) Acquisition of a registered nonmetallic mineral deposit or registered buffer area by a county, city, village or town or other governmental unit for a public purpose.
(4) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules that contain all of the following:
(a) A definition of “marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit”.
(b) Procedures and requirements for registering land containing a marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit under sub. (1).
(c) Procedures and criteria for objecting to the proposed registration of land containing a nonmetallic mineral deposit.
(d) Procedures for terminating the registration of land under this section when there is no longer a marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit on the land.
(e) Procedures and criteria for renewing the registration of land under sub. (1). The rules shall allow renewal for one 10-year period without review of the marketability of the deposit or the zoning of the land, except that, if mining has begun on any portion of the registered land, the rules shall allow the person to renew the registration for an unlimited number of 10-year periods as long as active mining continues.
(f) Procedures and criteria for renewing the registration of land under sub. (1m).
(g) Criteria under which contiguous parcels of land owned by the same person and containing the same marketable nonmetallic mineral deposit may be included in one registration.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/295.20Fetched: 10/7/2026