Zoning › State preemptions › Wisconsin

Wisconsin Shoreland-Wetland Zoning — Wis. Stat. § 281.31 + NR 117 (WI)

Tracked preemption from the Wisconsin overlay bundle.

Overview

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Effective
1966-01-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:WI
Other Wisconsin preemptions
Wisconsin Livestock Facility Siting — Wis. Stat. § 93.90 + ATCP 51 (CAFO preemption)Wisconsin Nonmetallic Mining (Frac Sand) Reclamation — Wis. Stat. Ch. 295 + NR 135Lower Wisconsin State Riverway — Wis. Stat. § 30.40 et seq.Wisconsin Local Historic Preservation — Wis. Stat. § 44.44 (Certified Ordinance)Fort McCoy / Volk Field AICUZ + Military Influence Area — federal/local coordinationWisconsin Brownfield Response / Spill Law — Wis. Stat. § 292.11 + DNR RR ProgramWisconsin Farmland Preservation — Wis. Stat. Ch. 91Wisconsin Tax Increment Law (TIF) — Wis. Stat. § 66.1105

Trigger predicate

When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.

AND
  • parcel.intersects_navigable_water_shoreland_jurisdiction == True
  • parcel.has_regulated_shoreland_wetland == True

Preempted fields

2 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.

FieldOpValueNote
review_typerequireshoreland_wetland_district_no_fill_or_drainUnder NR 117 (implementing §281.31), wetlands ≥2 acres within shoreland jurisdiction must be placed in a shoreland-wetland district by the county (in towns) or municipality. Filling, draining, dredging, or structural development is prohibited or restricted to enumerated low-impact uses.
base_districts[*].allowed_usesrestrictsubject_to_shoreland_wetland_district_use_table

Citation

Authority source
Wis. Stat. § 281.31 (Navigable Waters Protection Law); Wis. Admin. Code NR 117
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/281.31

Research notes

NR 117 layers on top of NR 115 shoreland jurisdiction. Coordinates with US Army Corps §404 Clean Water Act jurisdiction; federal conflict check enabled because some regulated wetlands also fall under Corps jurisdiction. Note 2017 Wis. Act 183 narrowed state-only wetland regulation outside shoreland zones — but inside shoreland jurisdiction NR 117 remains active.