Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat
Conservation Plan
The Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is the product of an innovative statewide partnership to protect the habitat of the Karner blue butterfly. The Plan represents a fresh perspective on U.S. Endangered Species Act implementation and an unprecedented conservation effort in Wisconsin.
About the Karner Blue Butterfly
The Karner blue was federally listed as an endangered species in 1992. Although the species is rare nationwide, it is relatively common in central and northwestern Wisconsin, especially where pine barrens, oak savannas, and mowed corridors support wild lupine, the only food of the Karner blue caterpillar.
Call the toll-free Karner Blue Butterfly Hot Line - (877) 4KARNER:
* to request Karner Blue or Habitat Conservation Plan information or assistance,
* to listen to a "flight status" report (May-August only), and
* to report qualified observations on wild lupine, Karner blue larva/feeding damage, or flying adults.
About the Habitat Conservation Plan
Approved in September 1999, the HCP is based on a legal agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wisconsin DNR, and an array of public and private land managers. The agreement allows Wisconsin land managers to continue operating in and around Karner blue habitat, provided they modify their activities to minimize incidental take (death, harm or harassment) of Karner blues.
Thirty-seven major land managers participate in the HCP as partners, including representatives from the forest industry, utilities, and roadway management authorities. The partnership works in cooperation with countless volunteer groups and concerned citizens across a vast area of Wisconsin to incorporate consideration of the Karner blue in land-use decisions. In turn, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allows land managers some flexibility in how they protect Karner blue habitat.
The HCP lets most small landowners participate in Karner blue conservation voluntarily, free from regulation. Together, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Natural Resources, HCP Partners and Wisconsin citizens are building trust and making conservation work. Learn more and get involved!
Source:
WI Dept. of Natural Resources
