Incidental Take Notice for Walworth County
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to issue an authorization for the incidental taking of a rare snake, which may result from the County Highway P Bluff Creek bridge removal project in Walworth County.
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 1) remove a failing DNR owned/former private rail bridge that abuts the County Highway P bridge structure, 2) bring the remaining County Highway P bridge structure into compliance with Department of Transportation standards and 3) improve public access to Bluff Creek by installing an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant pathway from the designated parking area.
The presence of the state endangered queensnake is confirmed in the vicinity of the project site. DNR staff determined that the proposed project may result in the incidental taking of some snakes.
Conservation measures to minimize the adverse effect on the species will be incorporated into the proposed Incidental Take Authorization and are detailed in the Jeopardy Assessment. They include having a biologist on site to look for snakes, avoiding work during times of year that are most sensitive for the snake and mitigating for habitat loss.
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.
Copies of the Jeopardy Assessment and background information on the queensnake 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 queensnake by May 14, 2026 to:
Wisconsin 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
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