Wind Power: Impacts on Wildlife and Government Responsibilities for Regulating Development and Protecting Wildlife

Based on GAO recommendations, FWS has developed consistent communication about the potential wildlife impacts from wind power and has provided this communication through a number of conferences and meetings and information available on its public website. For example, FWS sponsored a June 2006 regional conference in the Great Lakes area that addressed wildlife impacts of wind power development. The conference was, in part, targeted at and attended by state and local regulators. At other conferences and meetings, FWS alerted regulators to the effects of wind development on wildlife about informing them of the availability of expert agency staff, such as migratory bird specialists in FWS field offices. Also, FWS has assisted a number of states in developing guidelines for wind power including California, Colorado, New York, and Ohio. In October 2007, the Secretary established a Federal Advisory Committee to provide advice and recommendations on developing effective measures to avoid or minimize impacts to wildlife and their habitats related to land-based wind energy facilities. The Committee has met over 10 times and produced a number of documents that FWS has posted on its publicly available website. These documents include several draft versions of the Committee's recommendations to the Secretary that will be used to replace FWS's 2003 interim guidelines to avoid and minimize impacts to wildlife from wind energy projects with final national recommendations. The recommendations are intended to be used by all prospective developers of wind energy projects and to serve as a useful, suggested management approach for state and local officials. The draft recommendations outline the nature of the information needed to identify, assess, mitigate, and monitor the potential adverse effects of wind energy projects on birds and bats. The recommendations should help industry make the best decisions regarding siting, design, and operation of wind facilities; ensure regulatory agencies are aware of and consider the factors that present risks to birds and bats; and specifies the types and amount of baseline information needed for adequate review of a wind energy project. In addition, the Committee issued a legal white paper in October 2008 on the authority of various wildlife laws to protect wildlife and habitat and regulate the impact of land-based wind energy; the consequences of noncompliance; and the means by which an individual or entity can avoid or reduce liability and avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse effects on wildlife and habitat under these laws. Other documents posted by the Committee provide state-by-state descriptions of wind power guidance or protocols in use and how wildlife laws are applied to wind power.

Based on GAO recommendations, FWS has developed consistent communication about the resources available to help state and local agencies regulate and/or monitor wind energy projects and has provided this communication through a number of conferences and meetings and information available on its public website. For example, FWS sponsored a June 2006 regional conference in the Great Lakes area that addressed wildlife impacts of wind power development. The conference was, in part, targeted at and attended by state and local regulators. At other conferences and meetings, FWS alerted regulators to the effects of wind development on wildlife about informing them of the availability of expert agency staff, such as migratory bird specialists in FWS field offices. Also, FWS has assisted a number of states in developing guidelines for wind power including California, Colorado, New York, and Ohio. In October 2007, the Secretary established a Federal Advisory Committee to provide advice and recommendations on developing effective measures to avoid or minimize impacts to wildlife and their habitats related to land-based wind energy facilities. The Committee has met over 10 times and produced a number of documents that FWS has posted on its publicly available website. These documents include several draft versions of the Committee's recommendations to the Secretary that will be used to replace FWS's 2003 interim guidelines to avoid and minimize impacts to wildlife from wind energy projects with final national recommendations. The recommendations are intended to be used by all prospective developers of wind energy projects and to serve as a useful, suggested management approach for state and local officials. The draft recommendations outline the nature of the information needed to identify, assess, mitigate, and monitor the potential adverse effects of wind energy projects on birds and bats. The recommendations should help industry make the best decisions regarding siting, design, and operation of wind facilities; ensure regulatory agencies are aware of and consider the factors that present risks to birds and bats; and specifies the types and amount of baseline information needed for adequate review of a wind energy project. In addition, the Committee issued a legal white paper in October 2008 on the authority of various wildlife laws to protect wildlife and habitat and regulate the impact of land-based wind energy; the consequences of noncompliance; and the means by which an individual or entity can avoid or reduce liability and avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse effects on wildlife and habitat under these laws. Other documents posted by the Committee provide state-by-state descriptions of wind power guidance or protocols in use and how wildlife laws are applied to wind power.

Based on GAO recommendations, FWS has developed consistent communication about a range of issues associated with wind energy projects and wildlife impacts, and has provided this communication through a number of conferences and meetings and information available on its public website. For example, FWS sponsored a June 2006 regional conference in the Great Lakes area that addressed wildlife impacts of wind power development. The conference was, in part, targeted at and attended by state and local regulators. At other conferences and meetings, FWS alerted regulators to the effects of wind development on wildlife about informing them of the availability of expert agency staff, such as migratory bird specialists in FWS field offices. Also, FWS has assisted a number of states in developing guidelines for wind power including California, Colorado, New York, and Ohio. In October 2007, the Secretary established a Federal Advisory Committee to provide advice and recommendations on developing effective measures to avoid or minimize impacts to wildlife and their habitats related to land-based wind energy facilities. The Committee has met over 10 times and produced a number of documents that FWS has posted on its publicly available website. These documents include several draft versions of the Committee's recommendations to the Secretary that will be used to replace FWS's 2003 interim guidelines to avoid and minimize impacts to wildlife from wind energy projects with final national recommendations. The recommendations are intended to be used by all prospective developers of wind energy projects and to serve as a useful, suggested management approach for state and local officials. The draft recommendations outline the nature of the information needed to identify, assess, mitigate, and monitor the potential adverse effects of wind energy projects on birds and bats. The recommendations should help industry make the best decisions regarding siting, design, and operation of wind facilities; ensure regulatory agencies are aware of and consider the factors that present risks to birds and bats; and specifies the types and amount of baseline information needed for adequate review of a wind energy project. In addition, the Committee issued a legal white paper in October 2008 on the authority of various wildlife laws to protect wildlife and habitat and regulate the impact of land-based wind energy; the consequences of noncompliance; and the means by which an individual or entity can avoid or reduce liability and avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse effects on wildlife and habitat under these laws. Other documents posted by the Committee provide state-by-state descriptions of wind power guidance or protocols in use and how wildlife laws are applied to wind power.