WIND AND BIRDS

EarthTalk: Wind power and bird strikes

June 9, 2012 (The Norwalk Hour)

“…Bird collisions have been one of the primary negatives of the recent growth in wind power across the United States and beyond…[In response,] the [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USFWS] released new federal guidelines in March 2012 for land-based wind developers trying to avoid or minimize impacts to birds and their habitats. The guidelines are voluntary at this point, but U.S. wind developers interested in a smoother ride through various permitting processes and the blessing of environmental groups…are doing their best to make their designs and implementations comply.

“The federal government’s 22-member Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee, which included experts from the National Audubon Society, Nature Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife, Massachusetts Audubon and Bat Conservation International, developed the guidelines. Committee members report they are optimistic that the new guidelines provide a path to better protection for birds and their habitats.”

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[David Yarnold, President, National Audubon Society:] “The guidelines steer wind turbines away from vital habitat…and toward land already marked by development…They give the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a place at the table for siting decisions; they help protect sites with high potential risk for birds; and they minimize habitat fragmentation…[and] provide a roadmap to better bird protections across each of America’s four great flyways.”

“…Wind developers that cooperate with the guidelines will avoid dividing important habitats like forests and grasslands, thus maintaining their suitability for wildlife…[T]he American Bird Conservancy would like to take the voluntary out of the guidelines and instead require wind developers to comply. The group recently filed a petition with the U.S. Department of the Interior calling for mandatory rules…and rewarding responsible wind energy development…”

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