Incidental Take Notice For Grant County

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposes to issue a permit for the incidental taking of a rare fish, which may result from the Y-43 Hillside-Bloomington Pole Replacement Project in Grant 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. Conservation measures to minimize the adverse effect on the species will be incorporated into the proposed Incidental Take Permit.

American Transmission Company’s (ATC) Project consists of emergency relocation and replacement of structure 108481, as well as replacement of structure 108482 and reframing of structure 108480 along the Y-43 line, which falls within the Wisconsin River floodplain. Structure 108481 is proposed to be moved south and east within the existing Y-43 transmission line right-of-way (ROW) to a more stable location outside of the active channel. The two adjacent structures must be replaced and reframed to support the new location of Structure 108481. Conservation measures for this project are detailed in the Jeopardy Assessment and include netting off the project area and relocating fish to suitable habitat outside the project area.

The presence of the state endangered starhead topminnow is confirmed in the vicinity of the project site. DNR staff determined that the proposed project may result in the incidental taking of some fish.

The DNR concludes that the proposed 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.

Copies of the Jeopardy Assessment and background information on the starhead topminnow 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@wisconsin.gov.

The public is encouraged to submit written comments regarding project-related impacts to the starhead topminnow by Oct. 27, 2025, to:

Department of Natural Resources
C/O Stacy Rowe, DNR Conservation Biologist
2514 Morse Street
Janesville, WI 53545
Stacy.Rowe@wisconsin.gov or 608-228-9796

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.