bcpl.wisconsin.govBoard of Commissioners of Public Lands Home

You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Sign In It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. What's New 2020 Library Aid Distribution - $38.2 Million Spring 2020 Timber Sale WI Towns Association SpotLight BCPL Loan History Assets & Beneficiaries School Trust Funds Common School Fund Normal School Fund University Fund Agricultural College Fund Library Aid History BCPL State Trust Fund Loan Program Application Process Current Interest Rates Eligibility and Repayment Loan Application Request Forms Sample Documents Loan Calculator BCPL Loan History BCPL Loan Uses School Trust Lands Timber Management Land Transactions Public Access Interactive Ownership Map Submerged Logging Upcoming Timber Sales Public Land Ownership Surplus BCPL Property for Sale Land Records Record Types Public Land Survey Records Archives Access Online Records About Board Meeting Documents Press Releases News Staff Directory Public Records Policy Statement AA/EEO Policy Statement Publications Page Content 1 ​​​​​State of Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands W ho we are and what we do The Board of Com​missioners of Public Lands (BCPL), Wisconsin’s oldest state agency, is comprised of Secretary of State Douglas La Follette, State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, and Attorney General Josh Kaul. ​We proudly carry on the pioneering commitment of our state’s early leaders to a constitutionally protected form of public education financing that originated with millions of acres of land granted by the federal government. ​ Nearly all of the School Trust Lands were sold over 100 years ago. The proceeds were used to establish the School Trust Funds , which continue to grow with revenue from unclaimed property, clear proceeds of civil and criminal fees, fines and forfeitures, and timber production on School Trust Lands. We manage these Funds and the remaining School Trust Lands for the benefit of public school libraries, the University of Wisconsin, and the state’s citizens. See our Common School Fund Brochure and our Normal School Fund Brochure ​ for details. We also maintain a rich archive of historical records related to the agency’s past and present land holdings. With only 9.5 full-time employees we manage over $1.2​ billion in Trust Fund assets and 77,000 acres of School Trust Lands - at no cost to the taxpayer. By distributing over 96 cents on every dollar earned from our investments to our K-12 public school beneficiaries, our trust fund management is unrivalled by our counterparts in the public and private sector. How you benefit This small state agency is an integral part of Wisconsin’s history and economy. Our financial investments, land management practices, and archive benefit every citizen of the state. We generate investment income for distribution as public school library aid. See what your school received by clicking here ​. We loan money to municipalities and school districts for public purpose projects. We contribute to Wisconsin’s sustainable timber economy , combat forest fragmentation, and secure public access to large blocks of northern forests. We manage an extensive archive consulted by land owners, surveyors, researchers, and others interested in this rich source of historical information about the state’s land and early settlers. We are grateful for this opportunity to serve as stewards of the lands, moneys, and records we hold in trust for all of Wisconsin's citizens. Home - Contact BCPL - BCPL FAQs Copyright © Board of Comissioners of Public Lands All Rights Reserved - (608) 266-1370 Madison • (715) 277-3366 Lake Tomahawk...