This photo essay, compiled by Peak Keepers of Vermont's Mountains, is dedicated to all animal species, large and small, that rely on the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire, for their home habitat, for their water, their food and social interaction. They have no say in our world. They cannot decide to tear apart a mountain for their own good. For them there is no such thing as global warming or green energy. And excerpt of the essay is provided below. The full photo essay can be accessed by clicking the link(s) on this page.

Impact on Wildlife New Hampshire Vermont

William Staats, a wildlife biologist for the New Hampshire Fish and Game, submitted this testimony before the State of Vermont Senate Health & Welfare Committee Hearing on Health Issues Associated with Wind Turbines. Testimony was also presented at the Vermont House Natural Resources & Energy Committee. Mr. Staats resides in Vermont and has direct experience with the impacts of industrial scale wind energy development on New Hampshire ridgelines. His testimony provides critical insight into the true impacts of the towers on the State's wilderness areas.

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Landscape New Hampshire Vermont

The Vermont Public Service Board completed hearings on the proposed Georgia Mountain wind energy facility. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), an intervenor in the proceedings, was highly critical of the project's potential impact on the natural environment including resident and migratory bats. The ANR submitted the document at the link below to the Public Service Board detailing its recommendation for findings to the Board. An excerpt from the document pertaining to bat mortality is provided below.

Impact on Bats Impact on Wildlife Vermont

In his letter dated Dec. 22, 2009 Vermont Fish and Wildlife community ecologist Eric Sorenson details why the Vermont Community Wind Farm proposed for western Vermont would have "an undue adverse effect" on the area. The project could have as many as 45 wind turbines sited along several ridgelines.

Impact on Wildlife Impact on Landscape Vermont

The Wilderness Society and the Center for Biological Diversity submitted these joint comments toe the U.S. Forest Service in response to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Deerfield Wind Project. Click here to access the Forest Service DEIS. The comments submitted can be downloaded by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

Impact on Wildlife General Impact on Landscape Vermont

Iberdrola has proposed a wind energy facility to be erected on national forest lands in the Green Mountain National Forest located in Vermont. The Forest Service released the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) in September 2008. The full DEIS can be accessed at http://www.windaction.org/documents/17983. The US Fish and Wildlife Service submitted comments on the DEIS. These comments can be downloaded by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

Impact on Wildlife General USA Vermont

Ridge Protectors was an intervenor on the Sheffield Wind case before the Vermont Public Service Board. This petition letter was sent to the US Fish and Wildlife Service in response to the requirement that UPC Wind, the developer, secure a federal permit for wetlands impacts at the site.

Impact on Birds Impact on Bats Impact on Wildlife Impact on Landscape Vermont

Army Corps' letter to UPC Wind states that the Sheffield Wind project "is not eligible for authorization under the VT General Permit, and must be reviewed under the individual permit review procedure." The letter further states that UPC Wind "may not proceed with any proposed work within our jurisdiction until you have received written authorization from this office." The full letter can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

Impact on Wildlife General Impact on Landscape Vermont

This document includes studies in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

Impact on Birds Impact on Bats Impact on Wildlife Maryland Maine Minnesota New Hampshire New York Pennsylvania Virginia Vermont West Virginia

As a general comment, the Service appreciates the fact that UPC Wind has conducted radar and acoustic studies on bird and bat migration and bat activity at Hardscrabble Mountain and other locations at or near the proposed project. We believe the radar, visual, and acoustic information contained in the above-referenced reports is useful, but that it is not sufficient to demonstrate, at an appropriate scale, the spatial and temporal uses of the airspace over Granby, Libby, Barrett, and Norris Mountains by birds, bats, and insects.

Impact on Birds Impact on Bats Impact on Wildlife General Vermont

Below are two Phase I Avian Risk Assessments reports, prepared by Paul Kerlinger, for Vermont's East Haven Wind Farm (July 2003) and New Hampshire's Lempster Mountain Wind Power Project (June 2005). Phase I assessments have proven inadequate in assessing mortality at several sites in the U.S. including Mountaineer in West Virginia and Meyersdale in Pennsylvania. The US Fish and Wildlife Interim Wind/Wildlife Guidelines calls for multi-year evaluation of avian and bat activity using remote sensing.

Impact on Birds Impact on Bats Impact on Wildlife New Hampshire Vermont

ORDER IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED by the Public Service Board of the State of Vermont that: 1. The findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Hearing Officer are hereby adopted, as modified above. 2. The proposed Project will not promote the public good of the State of Vermont, and a certificate of public good shall not be issued pursuant to 30 V.S.A. § 248. Dated at Montpelier, Vermont, this 17th day of July , 2006.

Impact on Birds Impact on Bats Impact on Wildlife General Vermont

For the reasons set forth.., I conclude that the proposed Project will not promote the general good of the state. Therefore, I recommend that the Board not issue a Certificate of Public Good for the proposed Project. However, if the Board does issue a CPG, I recommend that it include the conditions outlined in this Proposal for Decision.

Impact on Wildlife General Impact on Landscape Vermont

To help guide our own internal policy on wind energy, VNRC has developed a list of criteria that we feel is appropriate to consider for wind energy development. These criteria are not exclusive to state owned land, but rather focus on developing a vision for siting wind energy infrastructure in Vermont. We have included specific considerations for State lands as well. The goal is to integrate the need to develop new in-state sources of renewable energy with protection of existing environmental values and public policy goals.

Impact on Wildlife Energy Policy General Impact on Landscape Vermont

...additional radar studies would be required to see if spring migration patterns are different than those measured in the fall. Typically spring migration is shorter than fall migration with fewer numbers in the shorter period of time. How this will affect the numbers of birds passing through the rotor swept volume is unknown. It is important to determine the seasonal timing, altitude and numbers of migrant birds passing over the proposed project site and the effects of weather upon their passage over a greater part of the whole year. In addition, it is possible to determine some of the bird and bat species passing through the project site by accoustical sensors to determine which species, that make vocal calls, are migrating through the site.

Impact on Birds Impact on Bats Impact on Wildlife General USA Vermont