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?