www.windaction.org

Leading Bird Group Wants New DOI Secretary To Review Possible Revised Rule Weakening Eagle Protections For Wind Industry
February 18, 2013 in American Bird Conservancy

In a letter to the U.S. Department of Interior, American Bird Conservancy (ABC) called on the agency to suspend further consideration of a revised rule that would weaken protections provided to eagles pursuant to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, by allowing private companies to apply for an unprecedented 30-year permit to kill these iconic species.

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife| Impact on Birds| USA]

Industry works to avoid listing of prairie grouse
February 12, 2013 by Associated Press in The Daily Times

Oil, gas and wind energy producers are working to persuade federal wildlife officials not to enact protections for the lesser prairie chicken, a move that could force them to halt or significantly alter their operations to protect the species' dwindling grassland habitat.

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife| Impact on Birds| USA| Texas]

Birds at risk of collision in wind farms, says study
February 12, 2013 by Neha Madaan in The Times of India

Reduction in avian activity in the study area was noticed with the increase in the number of wind farms. Despite the small footprint of an individual wind turbine, the associated infrastructure development causes a wider habitat modification and destruction, resulting in a displacement effect for the birds," said Pande.

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife| Impact on Birds| Asia]

Barn owl confirmed killed by wind turbine- they said such a thing could not happen
February 10, 2013 in Raptor Politics

Significantly therefore this new record would appear to prove the so called experts wrong, undermining the conclusions of the Environmental Assessments which had claimed the barn owl was at no risk from wind turbines in this country.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| UK]

Potential whooping crane deaths demand EIS for North Dakota wind project, groups say
February 7, 2013 in The Chattanoogan

Seventy-six groups led by American Bird Conservancy (ABC), one of the nation's leading bird conservation organizations, have called on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to fully analyze the environmental consequences of a proposed North Dakota wind farm to the endangered Whooping Crane. FWS is considering issuing the first-ever Incidental Take Permit (ITP) to a wind farm for the killing of endangered Whooping Cranes and threatened Piping Plovers.

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife| Impact on Birds| USA| North Dakota]

Two vulture species in Africa at risk of extinction due to wind power project
February 4, 2013 by Leigh Kim in Green Optimist

In a move that still astounds conservationists, in 2011, Classical Environmental Management Services released a report that did not mention the two vulture species and even went so far as to say there were no major environmental flaws to prevent the wind farm project from proceeding. ...Experts agree, the wind power project poses a dire threat to the two vulture species and will lead to their extinction if it continues.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| Africa]

Vitter, Alexander demand a clear migratory bird policy from Justice Department
January 30, 2013 by Senator David Vitter and Senator Lamar Alexander

“It appears the Justice Department is hand-picking which migratory bird mortality cases to pursue with an obvious preference of going after oil and gas producers,” said Vitter. “For example, while three oil and gas companies are facing fines for killing birds, a wind energy company is applying for permits to kill up to fifteen bald eagles.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| USA]

Feathers fly in Shetland wind farm development row
January 30, 2013 by Dave Finlay in The Scotsman

Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw QC, for the group, told the court yesterday: "One of the main legal contentions is how the Scottish Government has approached the Birds Directive and we say that is an error of law." Protesters are seeking to have the decision set aside and maintain that a public inquiry should have been held.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| UK]

Supervisors OK wind project with condor-protection requirements
January 23, 2013 by James Burger in The Bakersfield Californian

Barbara Hoffman said the project extends the damaging impacts of industrial wind development to the Mojave Desert and complained that the county routinely ignores the serious impacts these projects will have. Mike Fortuna of Mojave said the Alta Project has been broken up into small bits and passed bit by bit in an effort to avoid acknowledging just how damaging wind development is to the environment and the community of Mojave specifically.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| California]

Wind energy company could be required to track, protect condors
January 22, 2013 by James Burger in The Bakersfield Californian

Approval would include the requirement that Alta developer Terra Gen-Power establish a system for monitoring the radio signals from condors and shut down turbines if the birds get close to them. ..."We don't know how well the system will work. We are somewhat concerned because even now not all the condors have the radio tags on them."

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| California]

Bald Eagle Annual Deaths As High As 14
January 16, 2013 by Kristi Rosenquist

United States Fish and Wildlife Service predicts that between 8 and 14 American bald eagles could be killed annually if New Era Wind Farm is built as currently designed. The outcome of USFWS's eagle mortality models are dramatically higher than one eagle every-other-year as predicted by New Era's consultant Westwood Professional Services.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| USA| Minnesota]

Energy industry awaits U.S. ruling on Prairie Chicken
January 13, 2013 by Kate Galbraith in New York Times

A major problem, biologists say, is that prairie chickens fear tall structures, where predators like hawks can perch and spot them. Wind turbines, transmission towers and drilling rigs are generally the tallest objects on the plains. The Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a hearing next month in Lubbock on the chicken's future, and the public can comment on the issue until March 11.

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife| Impact on Birds| USA]

MPP wants answers on eagle eviction
January 10, 2013 by Monte Sonnenberg in Simcoe Reformer

"Why would they make a decision like that?" Barrett said. "I want to know who made this call. I want to find out if someone directed MNR to grant this permit and go against its legislation. My gut feeling is there is something seriously wrong here. I want to find out whether this decision was made outside the MNR." The Summerhaven wind project belongs to Nextera Energy Canada.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| Canada]

Outrage in Haldimand over bald eagle nest removal
January 7, 2013 by Monte Sonnenberg in Simcoe Reformer

Jody Allair is a biologist with Bird Studies Canada in Port Rowan. He is the chief monitor of the bald eagle nesting program in southern Ontario. The MNR sought his opinion before issuing the removal permit. ...Allair told the MNR that the nest should be left alone and the turbines relocated elsewhere. Allair only learned of the nest’s removal on Monday.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| Canada]

Energy company removes bald eagle nest to make way for wind turbine in Haldimand County
January 7, 2013 by Jonathan Sher in The London Free Press

"The Ontario government continues to blindly accept inaccurate information from wind companies as the truth without providing an investment in truly independent, scientific studies of bird, bat, butterfly migration before and after these projects are built."

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| Canada]

Eagle nest removed from wind farm site
January 5, 2013 in The Spec

"There are only 50-some bald eagle nests in Ontario," he said. "This is one." "There's no end to the limits that the government will go to accommodate the wind industry," he added. He also cautioned that the issue is much more far-reaching than Haldimand County.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| Canada]

Wind turbine company Nextera & MNR destroy Bald Eagle Nest & habitat
January 4, 2013 in Ontario Wind Resistance

Yesterday at 5:00pm the MNR gave a permit to this corporation to destroy this eagle pairs nest, and cut down the tree- as long as they were able to do it by January 6th - tomorrow. In typical cold government language, it is justified that the tree and nest should be removed as it was "scheduled to be removed for the construction of a road, and within 20 metres of the blade sweep of a proposed turbine".

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| Canada]

Windfarm opponents angry at loss of birds of prey
December 22, 2012 in The Courier

Investigations suggest that both birds were fatally injured as a result of mid-air collisions with the turbine blades. A spokesman for the organisation said the deaths were "tragic" and would have an impact on the local breeding success of an already vulnerable species which is  "teetering on the brink of extinction".

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife| Impact on Birds| UK]

Harrier deaths renew calls for continued windfarm monitoring
December 21, 2012 in RSPB Scotland

"This is a tragic situation and is likely to have had an impact on the local breeding success of this vulnerable species. Sustained persecution has placed the hen harrier under significant pressure, with the raptor teetering on the brink of extinction in England.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| UK]

Lesser prairie chicken may get threatened species listing
November 30, 2012 in Enid News and Eagle

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday it is considering formally listing the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species. The announcement begins a yearlong review ...Fish and Wildlife said it made the decision based on evidence the bird and its habitat are in decline.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| USA| Oklahoma]

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