Incidental Take Notice For Chippewa County

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to issue an authorization for the incidental taking of a rare turtle, which may result from the Cobban Bridge Replacement 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.

This Wisconsin Department of Transportation local program construction project is a bridge replacement on County Road TT between WIS 178 and County Road K. The structure, known locally as the Cobban Bridge, is located between Cornell and Jim Falls on the Chippewa River. The structure is 0.118 miles long. The current scope of the work for this project includes:

• Removing the existing structure
• Creating a temporary road to access the water
• Erecting a five-span concrete bridge
• Building a retaining wall under the west side of the new structure
• Replacing asphalt roadway approaches on County TT, storm sewer, curb and gutter, barrier wall, signing and pavement marking

DNR staff confirmed the presence of the state threatened wood turtle near the project site, and determined that the proposed project may result in the incidental taking of some turtles.

The DNR concludes that the proposed project will minimize the impacts to the species by adhering to conservation measures; is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence and recovery of the state population of the species or the whole plant-animal community of which it is a part; and has benefit to the public health, safety or welfare that justifies the action.

Conservation measures to minimize the adverse effect on the threatened species will be incorporated into the proposed Incidental Take Authorization. Copies of the jeopardy assessment and background information on the wood turtle 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@wi.gov.

The public is encouraged to submit written comments regarding project-related impacts to the wood turtle by Sept. 28, 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