Incidental Take Notice For Columbia County

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to issue an authorization for the incidental taking of a rare lizard, which may result from the Peter Helland Wildlife Area Field Conversion 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 DNR proposes to convert degraded grassland habitat back into farming production to combat the number of invasive plant species present. The field would be cropped for at least five years to deplete the invasive species seed source and then seeded back to native grassland. 

The 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 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 endangered species will be incorporated into the proposed Incidental Take Authorization. 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 Rori Paloski at 608-516-3742 or Rori.Paloski@wisconsin.gov.

The public is encouraged to submit written comments regarding project-related impacts to the slender glass lizard by May 8, 2023 to:

Department of Natural Resources
c/o Rori Paloski, DNR Conservation Biologist
101 S. Webster St.
Madison, WI 53707
Rori.Paloski@wisconsin.gov or 608-516-3742