According to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, they are proposing to issue a permit for the incidental taking of a rare turtle, which may result from the paving of the Peace Trail, which is a bike and pedestrian trail running from Janesville to Beloit. 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 Peace Trail is currently composed of crushed limestone with a proposal to pave the trail. A recurring theme during public meetings was the idea of a Rock River route that would provide a link to Janesville from the Beloit/Stateline area. The trail will provide users of the existing on-road route a safer alternative and will improve the connection between Beloit, Afton, and Janesville. The release states that this trail section is vital to the continued establishment of a completely off-road bike/pedestrian route between the two cities and will improve regional connectivity in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
The presence of the state endangered ornate box turtle is confirmed in the vicinity of the project site. DNR staff determined that the proposed project may result in the incidental taking of some turtles. The DNR concludes that the proposed project is not likely to 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. The public is encouraged to submit written comments regarding project-related impacts to the ornate box turtle by July 27, 2022 to:
Department of Natural Resources
c/o Rori Paloski, DNR Conservation Biologist
101 S. Webster St. Madison, WI 53703
rori.paloski@wisconsin.gov or 608-516-3742
Comments