What could be good news for Kewaunee County could turn into bad news for an endangered species in the area. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources applied for the incidental take of the peregrine falcon, a state-endangered species that has been found near the Kewaunee Power Station.
According to the DNR, 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. EnergySolutions, LLC has been working at the Kewaunee Power Station since it acquired the site in May 2022. The incidental take permit was needed as the company began the next decommissioning phase of the former nuclear power plant.
Based on his last conversation with EnergySolutions officials, Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Ben Nelson says the decommissioning remains on schedule, which is a six-to-eight-year time frame. After the work is completed, it opens the door for other uses for the site.
The DNR says that conservation measures will be taken to minimize the impact the project could have on the peregrine falcons in the area, which have been on the state’s endangered species list since 1975, according to UW-Green Bay. You can submit your thoughts on the issue at the address below.
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
