by Floyd Catchpole
Floyd is a long-term conservationist who recently retired from Will FPD.
Kirtland’s Snake threatened by Will County Forest Preserve
In October 2022, the Forest Preserve District of Will County (FPDWC), Illinois learned they had a previously unknown population of Kirtland’s Snake in Plum Valley preserve. Kirtland’s Snake is a globally imperiled (G2) snake that is listed as threatened or endangered in all five states where it still occurs. However, instead of rushing to protect and improve the habitat for the Kirtland’s Snake, the FPDWC submitted an incidental take permit (no. 276) from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources so they can build a 10-foot-wide asphalt trail with three -foot-wide mowed shoulders through the Kirtland’s habitat. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is taking comments on this application until September 2.
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| Kirtland's Snake Internet photo courtesy of A-Z Animals |
Known as one of the harder snakes to find, it wasn’t until the second (and final) year of looking that the Illinois Natural History Survey found three Kirtland Snakes along the alignment for the proposed trail. The draft conservation plan (Plan) submitted by the FPDWC indicates that it expects to take (aka kill) three Kirtland’s Snakes, or the entire newly found population. Of course, there may well be more than three Kirtland’s at Plum Valley, but whatever the number they will likely all die. NatureServe states that “Restoration potential depends upon the degree of habitat alteration. Permanent alterations such as pavement prevent restoration.” The FPDWC plans to pave the existing gravel chip trail and the entirety of the planned trail. Please email DNR.ITACoordinator@Illinois.gov with your comments.
A 10-foot-wide trail (paved or gravel) creates the risk that bicycles may run over Kirtland’s Snakes, or that people will collect the attractive snakes as they warm themselves on the trail. Additionally, changes in water levels associated with the creation of the trail that may harm crayfish populations and thus Kirtland’s Snakes.
What could be done to protect the Kirtland’s Snake? Leave the portion of the existing trail that is close to the Kirtland’s population with a gravel surface. Connect the new alignment to the existing trail far away from the Kirtland’s Snake population. Reroute the new alignment far away from Kirtland’s Snake habitat. Conduct multiyear surveys for Kirtland’s Snake throughout all of Plum Valley Preserve prior to construction to determine if the Kirtland’s Snake occurs on more of the preserve. Allocate significant conservation dollars to enhancing habitat at Plum Valley Preserve. Please submit your comments by email to DNR.ITACoordinator@Illinois.gov
What is the Plan proposing to protect the Kirtland’s Snake? The FPDWC has agreed to post information about the presence of snakes (without mentioning Kirtland’s to reduce collection pressures) in the trailhead kiosk. The FPDWC will minimize the width of the construction zone as much as possible while maintaining safety. The FPDWC and contractors will look for Kirtland’s Snake on construction days and contact IDNR for their safe removal. The FPDWC will search for Kirtland’s Snake two and five years after completion of construction. The FPDWC will perform normal soil erosion and sedimentation measures. And FPDWC will spend $20,000 to improve Kirtland habitat at Plum Valley. Please email DNR.ITACoordinator@Illinois.gov with your comments.
Additional shortfalls in the Plan
Kirtland Snake mortality from vehicles, (NatureServe) including bicycles and mowers are well documented (PARC pgs 16-20) and the proposed trail alignment goes through the habitat where the Kirtland’s Snakes occur. Kirtland’s snakes are known to bask on roads year-round when conditions are right and rare and attractive snakes like the Kirtland’s may be collected for the pet trade when seen warming on the black asphalt trail.
The Plan is required to indicate that the proposed taking will not reduce the likelihood of the survival of Kirtland’s Snake in Illinois. But it simply states that there are other populations of Kirtland’s Snake in the state, so this project will not reduce the likelihood of the survival of the species. The Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) website states that Kirtland’s Snake is now known from only four of Illinois’ 102 counties; hardly a reassuring fact. By the FPDWC’s logic, populations could be picked off one at a time until there was only one location left in the state. Please email DNR.ITACoordinator@Illinois.gov with your comments.
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| This snake is harmless, gentle, valuable to the ecosystem, and gone from much of its former range (gray in the map above). Current known occurrences are in red. Map courtesy of ResearchGate. |
The conservation plan is required to describe alternative actions that would not harm the Kirtland’s Snake (IDNR), but the FPDWC interpreted this to mean that they only had to say they considered and rejected undescribed alternative routes in a field meeting with their Contractors and ComEd (whose property the trail might cross in one spot). The undescribed routes were rejected to avoid: high quality floral assemblages; high-quality trees; wetlands; forested areas and crossing the creek where it is wider with an associated wetland.
The lack of described alternatives means none of the above statements can be verified or considered. No description is provided of “high-quality” wetlands and trees to allow consideration of whether they are of such extraordinary quality that a globally imperiled and state-listed snake population should be sacrificed for them. The statement that creek impacts are reduced by the chosen alternative is completely unsupported, unless we are to accept the implied higher cost of a wider bridge as reason to sacrifice this population. There is no description of alternative creek crossings, so no judgement can be made.
The Plan is required to describe a “no action” alternative, but merely states that it rejects the no action alternative, since it would not connect the trails.
The Plan states that snakes, turtles, and salamanders generally abandon areas of construction. NatureServe states that “Disturbance of the soil when Kirtland’s snakes are underground may cause injury or mortality of individuals.” And Kirtland’s Snakes are known to spend a lot of time underground in crayfish burrows, so changes in water levels, soil compression and siltation from asphalt trail construction may kill snakes and reduce or eliminate crayfish and thus the Kirtland’s Snake.
References
INDR. August 2024. Conservation Plan Template. https://naturalheritage.illinois.gov/speciesconservation/applying-for-an-incidental-take-authorization.html
INHS. Kirtland’s Snake. https://herpetology.inhs.illinois.edu/species-lists/ilspecies/kirtlands-snake/. Illinois Natural History Survey website.
NatureServe website. August 2024. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105161/Clonophis_kirtlandii
PARC. Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Midwestern United States. Technical Publication HMG-1 2nd edition.
Plan. July 2024. Draft Conservation Plan for the Incidental taking of the State Endangered Kirtland’s Snake (Clonophis kirtlandii) and the Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis). Forest Preserve District of Will County. https://naturalheritage.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/naturalheritage/permits/documents/ita-conservation-plans/conservation-plans/276-cp.pdf
PS from Floyd:
If you are concerned about letting people know about the rare species, know that the location of the preserve where the Kirtland's occurs has been posted in the FPDWC's public announcement.
Thank you for bringing the proposed incidental take to the attention of conservationists. I, Dennis Nyberg, sent the following to the IDNR.
ReplyDeleteIt has been brought to my attention that Will County Forest Preserve has applied for a permit (#276) to take 3 Kirtland’s snakes so they can build a paved path/road connecting existing facilities at Burville Road and Goodenow Grove. I oppose the approval of their permit request.
Coincidentally, I bicycled the entire existing gravel trail on 15 May 2024 so I have some direct knowledge of the area (my iNaturalist observation 215960135 of cut-leaved teasel documents my presence if anyone wishes to do so).
Kirtland’s snake (and other E&T species) is rare and needs to be a priority of forest preserves and other conservation agencies.
The existing vegetation along the gravel trail is dominated by non-native species. Reducing the abundance of the non-native species and increasing the abundance of native species should be where the WCFPD spends money.
When paths are used by many types of users, I am generally opposed to concrete and asphalt paths. The pavement encourages/allows individuals that want to go very fast to mix with strollers which occasionally leads to collisions. Paved paths also get used by cars and trucks of the agency and contractors they hire.
If the WCFPD insists on a paved paved connecting Burville and Goodenow there is an alternative that would greatly reduce the likelihood of incidental take. Put the pave on the south side of Burville until one gets to the I394 right of way and then run the pavement along the edge of the IL394 ROW as far as possible before building the crossing of Plum Creek. There is an existing bridge over Plum Creek on an abandoned RR ROW. I have accessed it from the Equestrian Parking lot along Goodenow Rd.
Thank you for protecting Endangered and Threatened species.
Unfortunately a lot of people are into "trees are special" "oaks are special" and people prone to this lack perspective. This mindset is why our native bees are in trouble from european bees. If a few trees and a low quality area need to be disturbed to provide an alternate trail it seem like a no brainer to me. Of course, the likely reason for it going at this spot is there is aready vehicle access for construction and most of the damage will be in the future road bed. Now shame on several other people for not figuring out or sharing locations with the state of this population 10 years ago before this project conceived.
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