The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is considering a permit that could allow the incidental loss of a rare lizard during a soil project in three central Wisconsin counties. The slender glass lizard, an endangered species in the state, lives near sites where soil borings are planned for a utility project in Columbia, Marquette, and Waushara counties.

The DNR says the work involves drilling at proposed structure sites and creating temporary access routes across fields and grasslands. While some small trees and shrubs might need to be cleared, the area is already maintained to keep vegetation under control.

Officials say the project is not expected to seriously threaten the survival or recovery of the slender glass lizard in Wisconsin. Incidental take permits are used when endangered animals may be harmed unintentionally, as long as the species as a whole isn’t put at greater risk.