Wind Power in Western North Carolina Potential Avian Impacts Source: avian.php.
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Transcript of Wind Power in Western North Carolina Potential Avian Impacts Source: avian.php.
Wind Power in Western North Carolina
Potential Avian Impacts
Source:
www.wind.appstate.edu/research/ avian.php
What Do We Know? Raptors are high risk
species at some sites Nocturnal migrants may
be a high risk group at some sites
Avoidance of areas with high bird use is the only way to reduce avian mortality Source: PNAWPPM, 2001
Birds are killed at wind power sites
The impacts on local and total populations can be significant or insignificant
Bird usage and risk vary among sites
Bird usage and risk may vary within a site
Potential Impacts Direct Bird Mortality
Turbine Strikes Electrocution Other Structures
Meteorological towers, buildings, transmission lines
Local Usage Effects Short-term Displacement Habitat Changes Activity disruption Increased usage
Population Effects Local Populations Total Populations
How Much Mortality? National estimates of mortality
range from approximately 1.8 to 2.2 bird deaths per turbine per year or about 30,000 birds killed annually in the US
(Erickson et al, 2001)
Local estimates from the TVA sites may be four to five times higher than the national average
(TVA, 2002)
How Much Mortality?
Compared to other forms of bird mortality:
Tower kills
4-50 million
Vehicle kills
60-80 million
Window strikes
98-980 million
Transmission line kills
10,000-174 million (Erickson et al, 2001)
Towerkills.com (12/10/02)
NC Tower Locations
What Do We Need to Know? How many birds use
potential sites? What kinds of birds use
potential sites? How is usage related to
time of year? How is usage related to
time of day?
What are the species of special concern at each site?
Will development have impacts on local or total populations?
Can we address these impacts to mitigate them on the front end?
What Birds Use the Mountains? Mountains host wide
variety (225+ species) Mountains are primary
migration route for passerines and raptors
23 State of North Carolina listed Species of Special Concern are found in the mountains
When Do Birds Use the Mountains? Highest diversity is during
migration (spring and fall) 160 breeding species in
summer 60-75 wintering species Maybe two times as many
individual fall migrants as in spring
What about Migration? Most passerines migrate at night Peaks in April-May and September -
October for passerines Raptors peak in late September and
continue into November Topographical use of the mountains by
migrants poorly understood Highly weather dependent Wind drift may cause morning corrective
flights Migrants may become disoriented in
foggy conditions and are attracted to lights on towers, turbines, or buildings
CUROL, 2002
Avian Conservation Initiatives
The Partners in Flight Plan
The National Audubon Society Important Birds Areas (IBA) Program
The Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition Plan
The Partners in Flight Plan Partners in Flight founded
in 1990 as cooperative project of federal, state, private, and academic partners
Involves a wide variety of biologists, professional planners and managers
Coordination of research, reporting, & management
Southern Blue Ridge Plan Identifies 63 priority
species Recommends monitoring or
management action with a habitat-based approach
Emphasizes migratory bird conservation
Landscape scale conservation
National Audubon Society
Important Bird Areas Program
www.ncaudubon.org
The SAFC Plan The Southern Appalachian
Forest Coalition “Return the Great Forest” Plan
Identifies 9 macro sites for conservation priority
Attempts to use biological inventory, land ownership patterns, and connectivity to prioritize within macro areas
Utilizing These Plans These three plans contain many areas of common focus and effort.
Species, habitats, and geographic areas of emphasis are often shared. An example of this overlap is the region wide, multi-organizational effort to preserve the spruce/fir forest and the species of birds and organisms associated with this community. Any effort for wind development in these areas is likely to be met with stiff opposition from a number of conservation, environmental, and management organizations. All of the spruce/fir areas of the state are likely to be areas of high wind resource.
Spruce Fir Habitats Second most threatened
ecosystem in the US Limited to seven areas of
western North Carolina No more than 70,000 acres in
the southern Blue Ridge, most in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
80% in late successional stages Currently in decline
regionwide From Peine 1999 p. 435
Recommendations Continue to consider avian
impacts in the planning process Utilize national standards for
site surveys and impact studies Provide for thorough site study
prior to construction Participate on the national level
with the Avian Subcommittee of the NWCC
Utilize our local resources (i.e. CUROL, TVA, Audubon)
Provide for long-term monitoring programs
Work with the three major bird conservation plans for opportunities and to avoid costly litigation and delay
Sell to the public the relatively low direct impacts versus regional benefits of “greener” energy
For More Information
The information in this presentation is a summary of a detailed literature review done for Appalachian State University’s Department of Technology. A full text version of the review is available on line at www.ncwindpower.org