Great Plains Wind Energy Habitat Conservation Plan

Transcription

1 Great Plains Wind Energy Habitat Conservation Plan K. Tyrell, K. Mertz (BHE Environmental) A. Arnold, E. Kimbrell (Kearns & West) WIND WILDLIFE RESEARCH MEETING IX November 27-30, 2012 Denver

2 Great Plains Wind Energy (GPWE) Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Part 1: Collaborative landscape, conservation approach, and benefits of the GPWE HCP Part 2: Modeling potential impacts to migratory whooping cranes from wind power development November 29,

3 GPWE HCP Background, History, Participants Conservation Benefits Overview of the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Milestones and Schedule November 29,

4 GPWE Background Draft HCP Plan Area Evaluate & respond to potential impacts to federally-listed species from future development of wind energy facilities in a nine-state, 470 county, 26 million-acre, 200-mile wide region of the central US, extending from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. November 29,

5 Introductions & Participants Wind Energy Whooping Crane Action Group (WEWAG) Convener: American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) 17 Companies (Acciona, North America; Allete, Inc.; Alternity Wind Power; BP Alternative Energy; CPV Renewable Energy Company, LLC; Duke Wind Energy; Element Power; EDP Renewables North America LLC; EDF Renewable Energy; Iberdrola Renewables; Infinity Wind Power; MAP Royalty; NextEra Energy Resources; RES Americas; TerraGen; Trade Wind Energy; and Wind Capital Group) Technical Team: BHE Environmental, Inc.; WEST Inc.; with technical assistance from Sutton Avian Research Center and Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust Facilitator: Kearns & West Legal Team: Crowell & Moring LLC; and Sedgwick Law, LLC Ongoing coordination with US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and with state wildlife agencies November 29,

6 Collaboration as a Key to Success Wind companies organized through affiliation with AWEA to develop a landscape-level HCP Throughout development of the HCP, industry has been collaborating with the USFWS as well as each of the state wildlife agencies included in this plan area. November 29,

7 Mission Statement to work cooperatively, to exercise flexibility and ingenuity, and to devote the necessary resources to craft a scientifically and legally defensible HCP that provides a means for reasonable wind power development in the planning area, that will support the survival and recovery of the species covered in the HCP. (December 2009). November 29,

8 GPWE HCP Conservation Benefits Comprehensive, integrated approach for species conservation Scientific rigor and the best available biological information used to develop and maintain the conservation program Clearly-stated biological goals and objectives developed by species experts and scientists and supported by industry, federal and state wildlife agencies, and conservation groups Both impacts and conservation measures are considered across a significant portion of the species ranges November 29,

9 GPWE HCP Conservation Benefits Conservation program will be comprehensively evaluated and carefully monitored, and conservation measures will be adjusted to ensure ongoing effectiveness and compliance Provides a centralized structure for accumulating, communicating, and benefiting from experience Use of funds from multiple stakeholders will be leveraged to maximize conservation benefits, supported by long-term financial and legal commitment Reduces effort of project-specific permitting, and the related cost and administrative burden on a resourceconstrained federal agency November 29,

10 Overview of the GPWE HCP Purpose and Need Covered Species Plan Area Permit Duration Covered Activities Impact Assessment Biological Goals and Objectives and Conservation Measures Monitoring and Adaptive Management November 29,

11 Purpose and Need Development of wind energy in the Great Plains Conservation of covered species Efficient and effective Endangered Species Act (ESA) administration Section 10 ESA regulatory assurances November 29,

12 Scope of the HCP The HCP will have a 45-year duration; incidental take permit(s) will address covered species during a 30-year project lifecycle Covered Species Whooping crane (WHCR) Lesser prairie-chicken (LEPC) Interior least tern (INLT) Piping plover (PIPL) Other federally-listed species addressed by avoidance or compliance on project-specific basis Covered Activities Construction Operation November 29,

13 Conservation Plan Existing conditions Proposed activities, impact assessment, take determination Project risk Biological goals and objectives Minimization and mitigation Monitoring and adaptive management November 29,

14 Modeling Approach Developed using best available scientific information about species behavior and presence Predicts where migration stopover is likely to occur (in addition to areas of observed stopover) Allows for unpredictability of facility buildout over a geographically large area Addresses the dynamic nature of habitat change over time November 29,

15 Milestones and Schedule (Note: This schedule is tentative and subject to change) 2009 to 2013: WEWAG develops Draft HCP, in coordination with USFWS and state wildlife agencies Fall 2013: Public Comment Period on Draft HCP Summer 2014: Final HCP is published November 29,

16 Questions? For questions related to WEWAG, please contact John Anderson at or Download the Great Plains Wind Energy HCP Fact Sheet at See the USFWS HCP website at heet.html Please see for information on the NEPA process (then click on "Great Plains Wind Energy" in column on right side of page) Visit the USFWS Endangered Species Webpage at November 29,