Brown County, WI Landscaping Rules: Native Plants (2026)
Key Facts
- Source list
- Brown County Native Plant List
- Approval authority
- Brown County Zoning Administrator
- Substitutions
- Case-by-case, only when stock unavailable
- Reference tool
- WI Botanical Information System, Brown County filter
- Applies to
- Shoreland buffer restoration plantings
Summary
When Brown County landowners restore a shoreland vegetative buffer, every plant species must come from the county's approved Native Plant List, with substitutions requiring sign-off from the Zoning Administrator.
(3) Brown County Native Plant List. Species of plants must be selected from the Brown County Native Plant List and approved for shoreline buffers by the Brown County Zoning Administrator. Substitutions must be approved by the Brown County Zoning Administrator. Substitutions to the list will be allowed in the event of lack of plant stock or seed availability on a case-by-case basis. All plants may be transplanted from areas outside of the buffer zone. The following link to the Wisconsin Botanical Information System shall be used to determine Brown County native plants. County: Brown, Origin: Native.
http://www.botany.wisc.edu/herb/Countysearch.html
(4) Shoreland Buffer Plan Requirements. When restoration of a shoreland buffer is chosen as a mitigation option, a restoration plan shall be completed by an engineer, landscape architect, surveyor or other licensed contractor acceptable by the Brown County Zoning Administrator. Said Plan must be approved by the county and shall include:
(a) Name and address of property owner.
(b) Property address and legal description.
(c) Extent of the shoreland buffer.
(d) Scale (e.g. 1 inch = 10 feet) or as approved by reviewer.
(e) North arrow.
(f) Ordinary high-water mark (OHWM) location.
(g) Location of all structures in the shoreland buffer zone.
(h) Viewing and access corridor.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 22's shoreland buffer standards require restoration plantings to meet set densities for tree canopy, shrub and groundcover layers, and every species used must be selected from the Brown County Native Plant List and approved for shoreline buffers by the Brown County Zoning Administrator. The county cross-references the Wisconsin Botanical Information System, filtered to Brown County native species, to build that list. Substitutions are allowed only case-by-case, when stock or seed of a listed species isn't available, and still need the Zoning Administrator's approval before planting.
Violations & Fines
Planting non-approved species in a required shoreland buffer restoration doesn't meet the vegetative buffer standard, which can hold up permit sign-off and exposes the owner to the same Chapter 30 forfeiture and nuisance enforcement as other buffer violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I plant any species when restoring my shoreline buffer?
Where does the Native Plant List come from?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brown County
Compare Brown County to another location·View the Wisconsin landscaping rules overview
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