You may have heard the recent media reports about the feds issuing 30 year "take" permits for wind farms. This is from a current NAS Action Alert <https://secure3.convio.net/nasaud/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=93A828DA34981EB5C99FD958732790DA.app304a?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1549&autologin=true> /"We must act quickly to urge Interior Secretary Jewell to reverse a recent decision to grant 30-year eagle permits to the wind industry. Newer technology and siting information is available that could pose less risk to birds, but the Interior's action has put Bald and Golden Eagles at risk/." I hope you will take the time to click on the link and send a letter to the Interior Secretary.
As you may know, Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society recently stalled (or halted) a wind project in Walton, NY. For risk to eagles, we consider the site one of the worst places in New York to build such a project. During discussions with regulators, I was told USFWS was considering issuing a take permit for Bald Eagles for this project based on a fatally flawed eagle risk assessment. I urge people to use the NAS action alert and/or send personalized comments. You can use the information on the South Mountain Wind Project below to personalize your letter. If you would like detailed information about the egregious problems with the South Mountain Project in Walton risk assessment, feel free to contact me off the list. Tom Salo -- Tom Salo 5145 State Highway 51 West Burlington, NY 13482 607-965-8232 salotho...@gmail.com * The NYS GUIDELINES for CONDUCTING BIRD and BAT STUDIES at COMMERCIAL WIND ENERGY PROJECTS were ignored, e.g. local bird clubs and hawk watches were not contacted as required. * Local hawk watch data - readily available on both local and national hawk count web sites - were ignored. * Golden Eagle was not included in the Environmental Assessment Form even though the project is in a fall and spring concentration area, and wintering birds are regular. * Bald Eagles nest very close to the project and concentrate around the adjacent Cannonsville Reservoir in winter. * After being directed by regulators to contact DOAS, the Franklin Mountain Hawk Watch, and Golden Eagle researchers tracking telemetered eagles, the developers failed to do so. * 40% of the GPS tracked Golden Eagles in eastern North America spent time within 10 miles of the project area. * The developer hired incompetent surveyors to record raptors. No Broad-winged Hawks were recorded in September when they are the most numerous and visible raptor in the sky. Broad-winged Hawks were recorded in early March a month before they arrived in New York. These are not the only troubling data. * The developer failed to adequately survey peaks of the spring and fall Golden Eagle migration. Only 4 days were covered in November 2012, and only one of those days had NW winds. Only 2 days were covered during the first 2 weeks of March - a spring migration peak. * No winter surveys were done. Winter risk assessment was based upon their faulty migration data. -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --