(1)    Petition. The owner of an entire quarter quarter section, fractional lot or government lot as determined by U.S. government survey plat, excluding public roads and railroad rights-of-way that may have been sold, may file with the department of natural resources a petition stating that the owner believes the lands therein described are more useful for growing timber and other forest crops than for any other purpose, that the owner intends to practice forestry thereon, that all persons holding encumbrances thereon have joined in the petition and requesting that such lands be approved as “Forest Croplands” under this subchapter. Whenever any such land is encumbered by a mortgage or other indenture securing any issue of bonds or notes, the trustee named in such mortgage or indenture or any amendment thereto may join in such petition, and such action shall for the purpose of this section be deemed the action of all holders of such bonds or notes. Land for which a petition is submitted under sub. (4) is exempt from the size requirements specified under this subsection.

   (2)   Notice of hearing, adjournment. Upon receipt of such petition the department of natural resources shall investigate the same and shall file a listing of descriptions with the town chairperson. For petitions received prior to May 1, the department shall within the same calendar year cause a notice that such petition has been filed to be published as a class 3 notice, under ch. 985, in the newspaper having the largest general circulation in the county in which the lands are located, and notice by registered mail shall be given to the town clerk of any town in which the lands are located. Such notice shall contain the name of the petitioner, a description of the lands and a statement that any resident of or taxpayer in the town may within 15 days from the date of publication of the notice file a request with the department that it conduct a public hearing on the petition. Upon receipt of such a request the department shall conduct a public hearing on the petition. The department may conduct a public hearing on any petition without a request, if it deems it advisable to do so. Notice of the time and place of such hearing and a description, in specific or general terms, as the department deems advisable, of the property requested to be approved as “Forest Croplands” shall be given to persons making the request, the owner of such land and to the assessor of towns in which it is situated, by mail, at least one week before the day of hearing. The notice also shall be published as a class 1 notice, under ch. 985, in a newspaper having general circulation in the county in which such land is located, at least one week before the day of the hearing. Such hearing may be adjourned and no notice of the time and place of such adjourned hearing need be given, excepting the announcement thereof by the presiding officer at the hearing at which the adjournment is had.

   (3)   Decision, copies.

      (a)    After receiving all the evidence offered at any hearing held on the petition and after making such independent investigation as it sees fit the department shall make its findings of fact and make and enter an order accordingly. If it finds that the facts give reasonable assurance that a stand of merchantable timber will be developed on such descriptions within a reasonable time, and that such descriptions are then held permanently for the growing of timber under sound forestry practices, rather than for agricultural, mineral, shoreland development of navigable waters, recreational, residential or other purposes, and that all persons holding encumbrances against such descriptions have in writing agreed to the petition, the order entered shall grant the request of the petitioner on condition that all unpaid taxes against said descriptions be paid within 30 days thereafter; otherwise the department of natural resources shall deny the request of the petitioner.

      (b)    If the request of a petitioner is granted under par. (a) or sub. (4), a copy of such order shall be filed with the department of revenue, the supervisor of equalization and the clerk of each town, and the order shall be recorded with the register of deeds of each county, in which any of the lands affected by the order are located. The register of deeds shall record the entry, transfer or withdrawal of all forest croplands in a suitable manner on the county records. The register of deeds may collect recording fees under s. 59.43 (2) from the owner.

      (c)    Except as provided in sub. (4) (b), any order of the department relating to the entry of forest croplands issued on or before November 20 of any year shall take effect on January 1 of the following calendar year, but all orders issued after November 20 shall take effect on January 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which orders issued on or before November 20 would have been effective.

   (4)   Exemption for certain smaller parcels.

         1.    The landowner of the parcel is a nonprofit archery club.

         2.    The parcel of land was part of a quarter quarter section or lot that was entered as forest croplands before January 1, 1968.

         3.    The parcel of land was divided from the section or lot and was sold to the landowner before January 1, 2009.

      (b)    An order issued under par. (a) shall take effect on the date of its issuance. Notwithstanding the 25-year or 50-year requirement under s. 77.03, the date for the ending of a order entered under par. (a) shall be the same date as the date for the ending of the order that applies to the section or lot from which the parcel was divided.

      (c)    Subsections (2) and (3) (a) do not apply to a petition submitted under this subsection.

      (d)    The taxes and penalties under s. 77.10 do not apply to a parcel affected by an order of withdrawal if an order of entry is subsequently issued for the parcel under par. (a). If an order of withdrawal is issued for such a parcel after the issuance of the order for entry under par. (a), the landowner shall be liable for all withdrawal taxes and penalties under s. 77.10 that would have been levied on the parcel if the parcel had continuously been subject to the original order of entry issued for the entire quarter quarter section or lot.