The Conservation Opportunity Cost of Monitoring Programs – Are Available Funds Put to the Best Use for the Species?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines outline an integrated process for evaluating impacts to wildlife across each of the major federal wildlife regulations that relies on data-driven... [ view full abstract ]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines outline an integrated process for evaluating impacts to wildlife across each of the major federal wildlife regulations that relies on data-driven decision making and adaptive management. While this process undoubtedly improves the precision and accuracy of predictions and estimates of impact, the data needed to implement the Guidelines is costly and time-consuming to collect. Multiple years of data collection stretch out the permitting process for new and operating wind energy projects in ways that interfere with the fast-paced and highly competitive nature of the industry. Dollars spent on field studies, ranging from the tens of thousands to several millions per project, to describe and monitor wildlife at wind energy project sites divert limited funds away from on-the-ground conservation. SWCA reviews trends regarding the scope, methods, and costs for predicting and monitoring wildlife impacts from wind energy projects. Given the large and growing body of research now available on wind-wildlife impacts, is extensive pre-construction, construction-phase, and post-construction monitoring the best use of limited resources available for the conservation of species of concern? Some researchers have estimated that roughly 25% of the land in the coterminous United States may be necessary to create a comprehensive national system of habitat conservation areas that represent the ecosystems and habitats necessary for the survival of at-risk species. Researchers estimate that creation of such a system could cost hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 30 to 40 years. The USFWS is stepping up efforts to address conservation challenges, such as loss of habitats and climate change, with proposed revisions to its Mitigation Policy that would apply to all actions for which the USFWS has specific authority to recommend or require the mitigation of impacts to fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. The USFWS proposes a landscape-scale approach to achieve a net gain in conservation outcomes, or at a minimum, no net loss of resources and their values, services, and functions. Application of this proposed Mitigation Policy to wind energy projects could substantially increase the amount of mitigation, including commitments for habitat conservation, the USFWS expects from developers. In light of the potentially substantial need for landscape-scale habitat conservation for species of conservation concern and the proposed new policy direction towards improving conservation outcomes for these species and their habitats, SWCA explores how wildlife and the wind industry could benefit from reallocating resources from lengthy permitting processes and extensive monitoring programs to on-the-ground conservation.