Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources is moving ahead with a plan that, while unfortunate for some individual turtles, apparently won't threaten the species as a whole. The Wisconsin DNR announced it's gearing up to authorize "incidental taking" of the state-threatened wood turtle because of a bridge project in Portage County.
The County Road WW – Four Mile Creek Bridge Project aims to replace an old steel culvert with a new concrete bridge, extending across Four Mile Creek, a venture that will entail some 0.92 acres of ground disturbance, but hopes to improve water quality by creating stable bed conditions this promise of progress, however, does not come without its costs, as the construction will take place amidst the habitat of the delicate wood turtle. Despite these concerns, the DNR suggests that the species will continue to thrive.
According to the Wisconsin DNR, the upcoming project involves constructing a bridge that mimics a natural creek bed and maintains the current stream width, elements that are critical to the stream's trout population and the resident turtles. The DNR's findings, as detailed on their website, claims that "the proposed project will minimize the impacts to the species by adhering to conservation measures," and they believe that it "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."
