Wisconsin Statewide Karner Blue Butterfly HCP

2010 Permit Renewal and HCP Update

 

The State of Wisconsin is a stronghold for the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly, where it is found on private and public lands.  Activities like timber harvests, prescribed burns, and rights-of-way mowing may destroy Karner Blue Butterflies and their habitat but those activities may also improve habitat over time. 

 

The Endangered Species Act prohibits the "take" (i.e., destruction or harm) of listed species unless a permit is obtained from the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service.   The permit is called an "Incidental Take Permit" and is obtained only after a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is developed.  An HCP identifies how "take" will be reduced and identifies the actions that will be used to compensate for "take" that occurs.  The Wisconsin DNR and 42 partners, including forest industry companies, utility companies, and non-governmental conservation organizations prepared an HCP so that they and private landowners could continue to conduct their normal activities but the Karner Blue Butterfly and its habitat would be conserved.  

 

The Wisconsin Karner Blue Habitat Conservation Plan is a landscape-wide plan that ensures the continued existence of the Karner blue butterfly on more than 260,000 acres of land in Wisconsin.

 

In 1999, the Service issued a permit to the Wisconsin DNR and other HCP partners for for 10 years. In 2010 the permit was renewed and the HCP updated. A draft environmental assessment and updated HCP were available for public review and comment and the comment period closed on May 4, 2010. Following the open comment period, the EA and updated HCP were finalized and the permit signed in July 2010.

 

Information about the Karner Blue Butterfly and its conservation

 

Wisconsin DNR Karner Blue Butterfly website

 

2010 Renewal of Wisconsin Statewide Karner Blue Butterfly HCP - Final Documents

News Release (July 15, 2010): Wisconsin Statewide Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan is Renewed

 

Wisconsin Statewide Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan: Updated for Application to Renew Permit, May 27, 2010

Updated Habitat Conservation Plan (82 page PDF; 500 KB)

 

Appendix A: Karner Blue Butterfly Biology (44 page PDF; 775 KB)

 

Appendix B: Species Associated with the Karner Blue Butterfly and its Habitat (109 page PDF; 582 KB)

 

Appendix C: History of Wisconsin Karner Blue Butterfly HCP Partnership, Articles of Partnership and Partnership Anti-Trust Policy (11 page PDF; 130 KB)

 

Appendix D: Participation Plan, Landowner Inclusion Strategy and Supporting Information (PDF Portfolio)

 

Appendix E: HCP User's Guide (PDF Portfolio)

 

Appendix F: Glossary of Terms and Acronyms (16 page PDF; 108 KB)

 

Final Environmental Assessment: May 26, 2010 (17 pages, 2.8MB PDF)

 

Karner Blue Butterfly Wisconsin Range Map

 

2010 Renewal of Wisconsin Statewide Karner Blue Butterfly HCP - Draft Documents

Federal Register: Wisconsin Statewide Habitat Conservation Plan for Karner Blue Butterfly Notice of Availability: draft environmental assessment and updated habitat conservation plan in support of an application to renew/amend incidental take permit number (March 5, 2010) 3-page PDF

 

Draft Environmental Assessment (March 4, 2010) 16-page PDF; 16KB

 

Draft Updated HCP for 2010 to 2019 (Nov. 30, 2009) 426-page PDF; 3.8MB

 

Application for Incidental Take Permit Renewal (Nov. 24, 2009) 15-page PDF; 2MB

 

1999 Wisconsin Karner Blue Butterfly HCP

Original (1999) WI Karner Blue Butterfly Statewide HCP: 3-Year Review

 

Original WI Karner Blue Butterfly Statewide HCP (1999)

 

 

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Last updated: February 25, 2013