Mississippi Valley Conservancy Statement Opposing the Proposed MariBell and BECI 765-kV Transmission Lines
Mississippi Valley Conservancy is committed to conserving native habitats and farmlands in the Driftless Area for the health and well-being of current and future generations. We recognize that Wisconsin communities and businesses need a reliable, resilient electric grid and that new transmission infrastructure may be necessary to meet future energy needs. At the same time, we believe those needs can and must be met while avoiding or minimizing impacts to Wisconsin’s most important natural resources.
Through our mission and vision, Mississippi Valley Conservancy recognizes the intrinsic value of native wildlife habitats and farmlands that enrich our communities in the nine counties we serve. These counties include Crawford, Vernon and Richland across which the proposed transmission lines would traverse. Mississippi Valley Conservancy is particularly concerned about the impacts of the proposed transmission lines on ecologically sensitive lands throughout these three counties; lands providing high native biodiversity, thriving and irreplaceable natural resources, steep and fragile karst topography, highly erodible soils, springs, wetlands and trout streams, rare species and habitats, archaeological resources, and productive agricultural lands; landscapes and resources that are unusually sensitive to disturbance from large-scale infrastructure.
Within this landscape are properties protected by conservation easements held by Mississippi Valley Conservancy. These easements represent a permanent commitment by landowners to protect forests, farms, wetlands, waterways, wildlife habitat and other conservation values. Landowners have voluntarily given up certain development rights to ensure that their land remains protected for generations. We take those commitments seriously, and we have a responsibility to uphold and enforce the protections and purposes of the easements we hold.
Disturbance from large-scale infrastructure would undermine the conservation work already accomplished in these counties and interfere with our ability to protect additional lands in the future. The impacts of a transmission line can extend well beyond the land directly beneath the towers and lines, including habitat fragmentation, wildlife disturbance, impacts to water resources and changes to the character of intact natural landscapes.
For these reasons, Mississippi Valley Conservancy strongly urges project planners and decision makers to avoid conserved lands and lands of high conservation or agricultural value yet to be conserved. Where multiple routes can meet the project’s needs, priority should be given to alternatives that avoid lands with significant conservation value. Where feasible, transmission infrastructure should be planned and implemented within the parameters of existing utility corridors.
We believe Wisconsin can meet its energy needs while honoring the commitments made by landowners and communities to protect the special lands, waters and natural heritage of the Driftless Area. We urge decision makers to pursue solutions that provide reliable energy infrastructure while protecting the conservation investments that Wisconsin landowners, communities and organizations have made for generations to come.
Last revision 10/28/2026 9:26 am