Prospective Wind Energy Projects Posing Low Risk to Golden Eagles in the U.S. Southern Great Plains: A Conceptual Approach for Rapid Risk Categorization and Take Permitting

I propose development of a risk-scoring tool to distinguish prospective wind energy projects posing relatively low risk to golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) (i.e., unlikely to take more than a small number of eagles over the... [ view full abstract ]

I propose development of a risk-scoring tool to distinguish prospective wind energy projects posing relatively low risk to golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) (i.e., unlikely to take more than a small number of eagles over the life of a project) from those posing greater levels of risk. Application of the tool probably would be limited to landscapes where (1) land cover and land use patterns are relatively simple and the eagle’s habitat associations are straightforward, and (2) golden eagles are, for the most part, widely scattered. The southern Great Plains, a region experiencing the most rapid, extensive growth in wind energy development in the United States, seems unique in these respects. The risk-scoring tool would be part of the Stage 1 assessment per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Eagle Conservation Plan Guidance, and could conceivably limit the need for extensive pre-construction surveys for predicting eagle fatality rates. The tool also could help expedite issuance of permits from the Service authorizing take of golden eagles at such projects. For the Southern Great Plains, I propose that the “scoring” be based on seven attributes important to golden eagle occurrence or risk at wind energy projects; six are landscape attributes (percentage cropland, occurrence of eagle nests, proximity to waterbird concentrations, ha of playa wetlands, ha of prairie dog colony, and km of escarpment/ridges for uplift) and the other is total hazardous area of proposed turbines. Attributes could be weighted based on known or likely importance. The intent would be for scoring to be done via desktop with modest field verification. Influences of various project and turbine siting scenarios on the risk score could be readily assessed to support adjustments for reducing risk level. Ideally, multiple low-risk projects could be evaluated under a single, programmatic Environmental Assessment rather than project-specific EAs. A conservative fatality rate could be assumed for the first 5 years of a project’s operation; robust, post-construction monitoring would then be needed to validate and adjust the fatality estimate. Under the Service’s current permitting framework, authorized take of golden eagles would be offset by compensatory mitigation. In the Southern Great Plains, a tool like this could conceivably help steer wind energy development towards landscapes where risks posed by projects to golden eagles are smallest. Implementation of such a tool would, however, require considerable policy development and review by the Service.