Audubon Settlement Improves Protections for Golden Eagles in California’s Altamont Pass

This month, the National Audubon Society, Golden Gate Audubon Society, Mount Diablo Audubon Society, Ohlone Audubon Societyand Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society (jointly, “Audubon”) settled litigation difficult the approval of a brand new wind turbine facility in California’s Altamont Pass. Located simply east of the Bay Area, the Altamont Pass is house to the densest nesting inhabitants of Golden Eagles on the earth, and it is usually one of the crucial biggest wind power useful resource spaces within the United States. The agreement achieves stepped forward protections for Golden Eagles and different birds whilst permitting the wind mission to stay economically viable and continue with development.

Audubon helps responsibly sited renewable power tasks with vital environmental assessment and mitigation, and this mission didn’t meet that ordinary. For a long time, wind tasks licensed through Alameda County had been an unabated supply of mortality for Golden Eagles within the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area. Audubon attempted to paintings with Alameda County to stability wind building with natural world affects, however when they disregarded issues raised through the USA Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Audubon California and Bay Area chapters, and different impartial scientists concerning the mission’s affects, Audubon used to be compelled to document the lawsuit in 2021,

As a part of this agreement, the mission developer Brookfield Renewable will put into effect adaptive control measures that reduce and mitigate detrimental affects to eagles and different birds. This comprises proscribing annual mortality of Golden Eagles to not more than 4 consistent with yr after an preliminary length of 3 years. Over that quantity, a heavy positive consistent with eagle mortality could be imposed, payable without delay to a company or company engaged in eagle conservation. Alameda County additionally dedicated to creating higher efforts to solicit enter on proposed tasks from its impartial technical professionals ahead of approving new tasks one day.

We’re hopeful that this agreement will considerably cut back dangers to Golden Eagles and lay the groundwork for Alameda County to hear scientists, natural world businesses, conservationists, and its personal technical advisory committee ahead of approving tasks. “This is a big step forward in realizing the commitment to sustainable management of the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area,” stated Glenn Phillips, govt director of the Golden Gate Audubon Society. “The county’s procedural changes will enable a better decision-making process for the remaining projects, and Brookfield has demonstrated that they will take strong measures to ensure that these new technologies are effective.”

Climate alternate threatens greater than two-thirds of North America’s chicken species with extinction, and renewable power is the most important a part of protective them through lowering carbon air pollution and slowing the upward thrust of worldwide temperatures. At Audubon California and around the community, we strongly imagine that tasks will also be well-planned, correctly sited, and come with powerful mitigation and adaptive control measures to attenuate affects to natural world and habitats as we building up renewable power output. We will proceed advocating for responsibly deliberate tasks which might be had to keep away from additional worsening local weather affects for other people and birds.

More about Audubon’s coverage on renewable power will also be discovered right here,