(Columbia County) The Department of Natural Resources is taking comments on a proposed permit for a tree removal project in Columbia County that may result in the incidental taking of a rare snake. The American Transmission Company and its contractors identified 61 hazardous trees that require limb or tree removal to maintain the company’s reliability.
DNR officials say the presence of the state endangered and federally threatened Eastern Massasauga snake is confirmed in the area. They add that the proposed project may result in the incidental taking of some snakes.
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 DNR says work in the area 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. Comments on the project can be sent to DNR Conservation Biologist Stacy Rowe at 101 South Webster Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53707 or email stacy.rowe@wi.gov. Rowe’s phone number is 608-228-9796. The deadline to submit comments is February 10th.
–Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Facebook page
