Wind Energy Development and Eagles: Estimated … Energy Development and Eagles: Estimated Impacts...
19
Wind Energy Development and Eagles: Estimated Impacts and Mitigation Taber Allison, Ph. D., Director of Research AWWI Wyoming Wind Energy Forum October 2, 2017
Transcript of Wind Energy Development and Eagles: Estimated … Energy Development and Eagles: Estimated Impacts...
WindEnergyDevelopmentandEagles:EstimatedImpactsandMitigation
TaberAllison,Ph.D.,DirectorofResearchAWWIWyomingWindEnergyForum
October2,2017
PresentationHighlights
• Eaglesareprotectedfromtake- permitsareavailable• BaldandGoldenEaglescollidewithwindturbines• Frequencyofcollisionsatmostprojectsiszeroorverylow• Many,untested,optionstomitigate(avoid,minimize,compensate)impacts
• Makingprogressinfindingsolutions
CONFIDENTIAL- NOTFORDISTRIBUTION
• Baldandgoldeneaglesprotectedundermultiplefederallawso MigratoryBirdTreatyAct(1918)o Bald&GoldenEagleProtectionAct(1940)
• “EagleRule”(revised2016)establishespermitsystemforincidentaltakeunderBGEPAo EagleConservationPlanGuidance(2011)providesablueprintforwinddeveloperstoacquirepermits
RegulatoryDrivers
USFWSPermittingApproach
PredictTake(Avoidance)
ImplementBMPs
(Minimization)
Offsetunavoidabletake(Compensation)
Xeagles/year
Yeagles/year
Zeagles/year
BaldandGoldenEagleDistribution(AWWILAT)
5
GoldenEagleUseIntensity
Nielsonetal.2016.ModelingLate-SummerDistributionofGoldenEagles(Aquilachrysaetos)inthewesternUnitedStates.PLOSONE
EaglePopulationStatus(USFWS2016)
U.S.Region Eagles(2009Surveys)Alaska 70,543Lower48 72,434
Total ~143,000
U.S.Region Eagles: 2014Alaska 4,000Lower48(Western) 31,000Lower48(Eastern) 5,000
Total ~40,000
Populationtrend:Increasing Populationtrend:Stableorslightdecline
BaldEagles GoldenEagles
Takethreshold>>0 Takethreshold=0
EagleFatalities:1997-2012Species State #Facilities
Reporting#ofFatalities
BaldEagle Iowa 3 3Maryland 1 1Wyoming 2 2
GoldenEagle California 13 27Colorado 1 5NewMexico 1 5Oregon 2 6Texas 1 1Utah 1 1Washington 2 5Wyoming 7 29
Pagel,etal.2013.J.RaptorRes.47:311-315
Predicted/EstimatedEagleFatalitiesatWindFacilities*
o AltaEast:0.6-1.0eaglesperyear(permitted)o CCSMPhaseI(500turbines):10-14eaglesperyear
(permitted)o MohaveCounty:0.33eaglesperyear(predicted)o OcotilloWind:2-3eaglesperfiveyears(predicted)o ShilohIV:upto5eaglesperfiveyears(permitted)
*Source:DraftEIS(predicted)andFinalEIS(permitted)
AnthropogenicSourcesofGoldenEagleMortality
Factor Deathsperyear(95%CI)
Poisoning 1,025(316-2,266)
Shooting 926(336-2,046)
Collision(wires,vehicles,windturbines)
545(133-1,509)
Electrocution 504(124-1,494)
Trapping 231(15-1,071)
LeadToxicosis 160(10-867)
Source:U.S.FishandWildlifeService.2016.BaldandGoldenEagles:PopulationdemographicsandestimationofsustainabletakeintheUnitedStates,2016update.DivisionofMigratoryBirdManagement,WashingtonD.C.,USA.
CollisionProbability(C)
EagleMinutes(k)
TurbineHazardousArea(δ)
ExposureRate(λ)
AnnualFatalities(F)
Servicemodeltermsinred
PredictingEagleFatalityRiskF =ε.λ.C
AvoidingTake
CollisionProbability(C)
NestSites
Perches
AirCurrents
EagleMinutes(k)
Behavior
LandCoverFoodType
AgeStructure
Season
FoodAvailability
TurbineHazardousArea(δ)
TerrainFeatures
TurbineAttributes
ExposureRate(λ)
AnnualFatalities(F)
Servicemodeltermsinred
PrevailingWinds
GeographicLocation
PredictingEagleFatalityRisk
AvoidingTake
MinimizingCollisions:BMPs
• Establishedpracticeso Micrositingo On-sitecarcassremovalo Perchdeterrentso Buriedcollectorlineso Un-guyedmettowerso Etc.
• Curtailmento Informed(biomonitorsortech)o Blanket
• Detectionordeterrenttechnologies
TechnologiestoMinimizeImpacts
VerifyingTechnologies:MinimizingRisk
CatalogofAvailable
Technologies
PeerReview
VerifiedDetection/Deterrent
Technologies
WindIndustry
TechVendors
StreamlinedTestingatAppropriateNumber
ofSites
Outcomes:
ü OperationalToolsü Avenuesfor
Complianceü PublishedStudies
AWWITechnologyVerificationServices
Pooling knowledge/resources to find best solutions
NOTFORDISTRIBUTION
CompensatoryMitigation
• “Nonetloss”forgoldeneagles• PowerpoleretrofitstheprincipaloptionrecommendedbytheService
• Otherpossibleoptions:o Roadkillremovalo Voluntaryleadabatemento Habitatimprovement
• Offsetsmustbe“quantifiableandverifiable”
OffsetMitigation:VehicleStrikeandVoluntaryLeadAbatement
HowtoProceed
• Coordinateresearchandpooldataacrossprojects• Developframeworkformorerapidincorporationofresearchresultsintopolicy/regulations
• Facilitateresearchonprotectedspecies
Questions?
