Press Release

September 22, 2023

Conservation Groups Call on Federal Agencies to Deny Transmission Companies’ Request to Cross Upper Mississippi River Nat’l Wildlife Refuge

“We’re counting on the Federal agencies tasked with stewarding the Refuge to objectively consider whether the transmission line’s destructive intrusion is compatible with the Refuge’s mandated conservation goals”

Madison, WI – Three conservation groups – the National Wildlife Refuge Association, Driftless Area Land Conservancy and Wisconsin Wildlife Federation – submitted comments today to the federal Rural Utilities Service’s (RUS) draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment. The conservation groups call on the agency to protect vital public lands and reject the transmission line developers’ proposed land exchange that would result in the construction of up to 20-story towers through the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

Rather than rigorously explore and objectively evaluate all reasonable alternatives as required by federal law – including non-wires alternatives and alternative routes that won’t cross the Refuge, RUS heavily relied on the transmission line developers’ view that the costly and environmentally destructive transmission line “needed” to be built through the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is the gem of the National Wildlife Refuge System in the Midwest. This Refuge “hosts more than 3.7 million annual visits for hunting, fishing, wildlife observations, and other recreation. The refuge is a Wetland of International Importance and a Globally Important Bird Area,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The federal agencies unfortunately constrained meaningful public participation by allowing the public only 14 days to comment on this issue of significant public importance which the Rural Utilities Service was required by law to prepare.

ATC, ITC Midwest, and Dairyland’s plan to run their huge high-voltage transmission line through the wildlife refuge is illegal. Constructing the huge transmission line through the protected Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge violates the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, violates the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s own regulations, and is inconsistent with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s own applicable Comprehensive Conservation Plan for this Refuge.

Jennifer Filipiak, Executive Director, Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC), said:

“Driftless Area Land Conservancy believes there are better 21st century alternatives to this huge transmission line, including the use of battery storage, clean distributed energy generation, advancing energy efficiencies and small-scale “rooftop” solar. These technologies can provide a brighter future for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and for the Driftless region. We’re counting on the Federal agencies tasked with stewarding the Refuge to objectively review these alternatives and consider whether the transmission line’s destructive intrusion is compatible with the Refuge’s mandated conservation goals.” 

Kevyn Quamme, President of Wisconsin Wildlife Federation (WWF), said:

“The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge has been recognized nationally and internationally as having some of the finest and most critically important wildlife habitat in the Midwest and is heavily used annually by large multitudes of a wide variety of outdoor recreational users and there needs to be a full evaluation of the damages that the Cardinal-Hickory Creek Transmission Line will cause before proceeding.”

Concerned Southwest Wisconsin residents submitted separate comments to the Rural Utilities Service.

Kerry Beheler, a WWF member and interested southwest Wisconsin resident, said:

“I am incredibly concerned about the proposed construction of the CHC through the Refuge. The proposed line would have adverse environmental impacts, with significant bird mortality from collisions, habitat destruction, and damage throughout the ecosystem, including to mammals, birds, fish, insects, mussels, and vegetation. The proposed CHC would likely increase indirect mortality effects for all species.”

Chris Klopp, an interested Southwest Wisconsin resident, said:

“Federal agencies ignore environmental protection of one of the few remaining natural ecosystems and attempt to circumvent our legal protections, in order to facilitate construction of a project that is not needed, furthering utility interests over those of the public.”