Helicopter Pad

Concrete Batch Plant

O&M Building, Maintenance & Housing

Staging Area

Staging Area

Staging Area

Substation

L A K E O N T A R I O

Pier and Staging Area

Helicopter Hanger

NORTH POND

L I T T L E G A L L O O I S L A N D

Gill Harbor

Reputed Owner:New York State DEC

Reputed Owner:Galloo Island Corp

Reputed Owner:New York State DEC

Reputed Owner:U S Of America

Reputed Owner:Galloo Island Corp.

Reputed Owner:Galloo Island Corp.

Reputed Owner:Dibnah, Cara C.

Represents a potential WTG location if granted permission from New York State. 0 2,500 5,0001,250

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FIGURE 1HOUNSFIELD WIND FARM

PROPOSED SITE PLAN

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PROJECT AREA

REGIONAL VIEW

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LegendWind Turbine Generators (WTG)

Maximum Laydown Area of WTG

Access Roads

Town of Hounsfield Parcel Boundaries

Preliminary Wetlands Boundary Survey (Oct. 2007)American ConsultingProfessionals ofNew York, PLLC

HOUNSFIELD WIND FARM: FLORA AND FAUNA

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT SUMMARY

SUSAN C COOK-PATTON

CLIENT Fall 2010

November 27, 2010

Wind farm impacts on flora and fauna

Project description The second largest wind turbine facility in New York has been proposed for Galloo Island, NY. Galloo Island is a 1,966 acre, uninhabited island situated in the eastern portion of Lake Ontario, about six miles offshore of Henderson, NY. With 84 wind generators, the facility will be able to produce 252 megawatts of power at peak capacity, which could power more than 90,000 homes.

The project involves the construction of multiple temporary and permanent structures. The permanent structures include (but are not limited to) [1] staff housing, which will require power, sewage and water services, [2] infrastructure for collecting and transmitting power, [3] sediment basins for erosion and storm control, [4] an 80-meter tall meterological tower, and [5] a helicopter pad. In sum, 158.66 acres (or 8.07%) of the island will be permanently developed. A map of the proposed development is included on the cover page of this document. Advocates for the project emphasize that the new wind farm will promote energy security by decreasing New York’s reliance on foreign fossil fuels, support New York’s “green” economy, reduce pollution emissions, and create jobs. In addition, wind energy will diversify New York’s energy sources, which should reduce price volatility due to weather conditions, economic events, or disruptions in supply. Organization The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is the lead agency and the Upstate NY Power Corp sponsors the proposed wind farm project. Other agencies involved in the process include the Town of Hounsfield Planning Board, the Department of Public Service, the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the New York State Department of State, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Timeline 2007

December – Town of Hounsfield Planning Board decides that the project was a Type I action under SEQRA

2008 May – Public scoping period begins September – Final written scope issued by the

NYS DEC 2009

February – DEIS published for public review May – Public comment period ended December – Final EIS accepted

2010 Fall – Construction began

2012 Fall – Anticipated completion date

Environment

The Project site contains various vegetative cover types including deciduous and mixed forests, wooded and non-wooded wetlands, open fields, scrub-shrub areas, developed areas, agricultural areas and vegetation associated with rocky areas and cliffs. The is comprised of large and small mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Galloo Island has a long history of disturbance and has been farmed, clear cut for cedar, and managed for deer. In addition, it is being invaded by pale swallow-wort (Cynanchum rossicum), an invasive plant species that forms dense mats and outcompete native species that are more valuable to wildlife species.

The broader geographic region (eastern Lake Ontario) has important Bird Conservation Areas, Audubon Important Bird Areas and various Wildlife Management Areas. Little Galloo Island (another island in the vicinity) is a particularly valuable wildlife refuge and is a state Bird Conservation Area. However, the wind farm is not expected to impact Little Galloo Island.

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and are thus at higher risk because they move so frequently. The US Fish and Wildlife Service suggested that the turbines be moved to locations where birds are less likely to travel. In reply, the EIS notes that the USFWS “does not indicate which specific areas on the island are “important” for wildlife” and that “each habitat located on the island provides some value to various wildlife species.” The avian risk analysis concluded that the risk of shorebird collision with turbines was higher on Galloo Island than other islands, but lower than other mainland coastal sites. The EIS concludes that bird collisions are expected to be minimal.

Mitigation impacts for birds include using single poles for the wind turbines and meteorological tower to reduce the potential vertical area of collision, painting the turbines so that they are more visible to birds, and using a lighting scheme that reduces the attraction of birds – though all vertical structures must have lighting that meets FAA’s regulations. Fishes. Permanent impacts to aquatic life are not expected, though some impact may occur during the construction of in-water structures. To minimize potentially adverse environmental impacts, several best practices were adopted. Blasting will occur during the day and during periods of noisy construction when fish are scared from the site. Charges will be staggered to give fish time to swim away. A turbidity barrier will be in place to minimize clouding of the water. Finally, a water intake structure, which is used to collect freshwater for drinking and fire prevention, will not exceed 0.5 ft/second in velocity to prevent trapping aquatic organisms at the intake head. Mammals.

Mammals on Galloo Island include eastern chipmunk, eastern gray squirrel, red squirrel, American beaver, deer mouse, meadow vole, common muskrat, coyote, raccoon and white-tailed deer, none of which are federally or state listed threatened or endangered species. Most of these mammals are mobile and can readily avoid an area that is disturbed by construction activities. Some small rodents may be impacted during

Birds Multiple bird surveys were conducted

during 2007-2009 at different times of the year and using many data collection methods. Many avian species were observed, ranging from large raptors (e.g., Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Snowy Owls, Bald Eagles) to water fowl (e.g., Mallards, Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck) to sea birds (e.g., Double-crested Cormorants, Caspian Terns) to grassland-nesting birds (Upland Sandpiper). Several NYS-listed species were observed, including the Pied-billed Grebe (Threatened), the Northern Harrier (Threatened), the Common Loon (Special Concern), the American Bittern (Special Concern) and the Cooper’s Hawk (Special Concern). Impacts to breeding grounds of Upland Sandpipers (Threatened) are of most concern. While some roads were moved to minimize impacts, the wind farm will still affect about 72 acres of open land, similar to the habitat in which the Upland Sandpiper nests. The EIS acknowledges that not enough is known about this species behavior to mitigate properly for the potential destruction of Sandpiper nesting habitat. Thus “if post-construction impacts are identified, DEC reserves the right to require adaptive management strategies to avoid or minimize such impacts.”

Bird mortality due to collision with wind farm structures is expected to vary by species. Minimal impacts are expected for waterfowl (i.e., ducks). Ring-billed Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants and Caspian Terns are at a greater risk as they make foraging flights over Galloo Island. Raptors, like the threatened Bald Eagle may experience some collisions in the winter when they forage on the island for small mammals. The EIS notes, however, that there has been only one unconfirmed case of a Bald Eagle experiencing collision mortality at a wind project in the northeast and that there is no data about how Bald Eagles avoid (or do not avoid) wind. One suggestion was made in the DEIS to introduced foxes and coyotes to the island to reduce the vole population, which would in turn reduce the presence of raptors on the island who hunt for voles in the winter. This plan was ultimately dropped in the FEIS.

Small songbirds repeatedly fly back and forth across the island, particularly in the morning,

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November 27, 2010

construction, but because they are abundant and reproduce quickly no mitigation measures were taken. Deer are one of the few mammals discussed specifically in the EIS. They were introduced to the island and

the public was concerned that deer populations would exceed the carrying capacity of the island if hunters from the community did not cull the herd. The Upstate NY Power Corp stated that their staff would hunt if necessary to reduce the deer population.

Risk analyses for bats were also conducted and concluded that small risks were expected, particularly because construction will halt in the winter when the lake is frozen and thus no disruption to bat hibernation is expected. As a result of the public comments, one facility (the electricity collecting substation) was moved from forested land to agricultural land. This move preserved almost 13 acres of forest, which will further reduce the impacts of the construction on bats. Post-construction monitoring of bat populations will occur to decide if additional mitigation measures are needed.

Flora. Two state threatened plant species occur on the island: rock cress and troublesome sedge. Rock cress was

found in the cliff areas of the island in areas that will not be developed. Troublesome sedge grows prolifically on the island in multiple habitat types. Small skullcap, a species on the New York Natural Heritage Program Watch List, was found within an open field on the island. Finally, suitable habitat for the Autumnal Water-starwort (state-endangered) exists in the north pond and Gill Harbor, but no Autumnal Water-starwort was found. Only the Troublesome sedge will be impacted by the construction of the wind farm. However, it is so abundant on the island that no mitigation measures were proposed, because the population would not be significantly impacted by the construction.

Concern was raised about the spread of an invasive plant species on Galloo Island. The invader, pale swallow-wort, is currently found on only some parts of the island. The Upstate NY Power Corp. agreed to adopt various control measures, including spraying patches of pale swallow-wort with (limited) pesticides to kill the invader. They will also wash trucks and gear before they are moved around to prevent the dissemination of seeds to currently uninfested areas. However, the EIS states that this invader is likely to spread via wind and thus does not hold Upstate NY Power Corp responsible if the entire island does become invaded.

Amphibians and Reptiles Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) is a threatened species in New York and is being considered for

protection under the Federal Endangered Species Act. Suitable nesting habitat was found on Galloo Island, but no Blanding’s Turtles. The writers of the EIS decided that no mitigation was necessary because the rare turtles were not currently using the island.

The DEIS identified six species of amphibians (american toad, red-backed salamander, northern leopard frogs, and pickerel frogs) and five species of reptiles (snapping turtle, northern map turtle, painted turtle, northern

November 27, 2010

References Tomasik, S. (2009) Final Environmental Impact Statement : Hounsfield Wind Farm. NYS DEC. Tomasik, S. (2009) Draft Environmental Impact Statement : Hounsfield Wind Farm. NYS DEC. Gibas, K. “Concerns over proposed Hounsfield Wind Farm on Galloo Island.” http://centralny.ynn.com. May 19, 2009. “Upland Sandpiper Fact Sheet.” NYS DEC. http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/59582.html “Northern Harrier Fact Sheet.” NYS DEC. http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7090.html

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watersnake, and the common gartersnake) that inhabit the island. The FEIS acknowledges that amphibians and reptiles may be killed and displaced during construction, but offer no mitigation plans because none of the amphibians or reptiles is considered rare or endangered. Alternatives The “No Action” alternative was considered not viable because the island is “underutilized” as a seasonal residence, forests, and agricultural lands. The socioeconomic benefits and environmental gains from developing a renewable energy source were considered too important to not proceed with the project. The “Maximum Turbine Build-out” was considered unrealistic because blanketing the entire island with wind turbines would destroy too much wetland area. The “Fewer Turbines” alternative was rejected because the net decrease in capacity outweighed the slight decrease in permanent impacts to wooded areas. The “No Impact from Project” alternative was rejected because it was not feasible to construct the project without some impact to wetlands and forests. The “Lower Turbine Height” alternative to reduce visual impacts and bird collisions was not viable, because it increased the disturbance that each turbine caused.