MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to issue a permit for the incidental taking of a rare lizard, which may result from the Line X-43 Rebuild Project.
Incidental take refers to the unintentional loss of individual endangered or threatened animals or plants that does not put the species’ overall population at risk.
The American Transmission Company’s proposed project involves rebuilding an existing 22.7 mile, 138 kilovolt (kV) transmission line from Petenwell Substation to Badger West Substation and from Badger West Substation to Saratoga Substation in Adams, Juneau and Wood Counties.
The project aims to replace aging transmission structures and bring the transmission line up to current design standards.
Presence of the state endangered slender glass lizard is confirmed in the vicinity of the project site. DNR staff determined that the proposed project may result in the incidental taking of some lizards.
The DNR concludes that the proposed project is not likely to appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival or recovery of the species within the state, the whole plant-animal community of which it is a part of or the habitat that is critical to its existence.
Conservation measures to minimize the adverse effect on the endangered species will be incorporated into the proposed Incidental Take Permit. Copies of the jeopardy assessment and background information on the slender glass lizard are available by visiting the DNR Incidental Take Public Notices webpage or upon request from DNR Conservation Biologist Stacy Rowe at 608-228-9796 or stacy.rowe@wisconsin.gov.
The public is encouraged to submit written or verbal comments regarding project-related impacts to the slender glass lizard by March 25, 2022 to:
Department of Natural Resources
c/o Stacy Rowe, DNR Conservation Biologist
101 S. Webster St. Madison, WI 53707
stacy.rowe@wi.gov or 608-228-9796
