In a move that underscores the balance between progress and preservation, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is gearing up to issue a permit for the incidental taking of a rare plant in Douglas County. The proposed permit comes as part of the East 5th Street Reconstruction Project in Superior, where street renovations might spell trouble for the state-threatened seaside crowfoot, as reported by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The term "incidental take" refers to the unintended harm or loss of endangered or threatened species that's considered inconsequential to the species' survival as a whole. Walking the line between infrastructure development and the conservation of local flora, the city plans to revamp parts of East 5th Street and nearby areas, which could disturb an estimated area of 6.6 acres home to the seaside crowfoot, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources release.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources experts have determined that the reconstruction effort, though potentially harmful to individual plants, is not expected to threaten the seaside crowfoot population at large. Their assessment indicates that the 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."
To mitigate the risks posed by the construction, conservation measures are set to be built into the proposed Incidental Take Permit. Individuals interested in digging deeper into these measures, or in the nitty-gritty details surrounding the seaside crowfoot, can get their hands on the jeopardy assessment and background information by visiting the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Incidental Take Public Notices webpage or reaching out to Stacy Rowe, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conservation biologist leading the charge on this matter at [email protected] or 608-228-9796.
