Washington News

Progress for Birds and Clean Energy

勛圖窪蹋 Washington Applauds Efforts to Safeguard Birds and Habitat as Part of Clean Energy Siting Decisions
Published April 18, 2024
This article is from 勛圖窪蹋 Washington . 勛圖窪蹋 has 450+ chapters across the U.S. serving local communities. Find your local chapter here.

Seattle, WA April 18, 2024 We are celebrating a significant step forward for birds and clean energy. The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) has accepted and will present to the Governors Office a Recommendation Report for the Horse Heaven Wind Project that incorporates the wildlife and habitat mitigation measures proposed by 勛圖窪蹋 Washington, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Yakama Nation, and other key stakeholder groups. 

勛圖窪蹋 Washington and its chapters and members have been actively engaged in the development of recommendations since the start, advocating for the needs of birds and wildlife in the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) public comment process, hearings, and adjudication. 

勛圖窪蹋 believes the build-out of renewable energy in Washington can be achieved in a way that balances the needs of people and wildlife, said Trina Bayard, Ph.D., Interim Executive Director and Director of Bird Conservation at 勛圖窪蹋 Washington. We support the protective measures EFSEC has proposed to reduce impacts to at-risk species and habitats associated with the Project. 

In public comments to the Council, 勛圖窪蹋 Washington outlined concerns regarding the projects potential adverse effects on Ferruginous Hawk, wildlife connectivity, and other at-risk birds, while offering several mitigation measures, including: 

  • Committing to micro-siting decisions that eliminate turbines within two miles of Ferruginous Hawk nest locations. 

  • Mitigating appropriately for habitat loss across the entire Project Lease Boundary area. 

  • Eliminating the creation of a pinch point for wildlife connectivity in wildlife corridor linkages. 

  • Consulting with impacted tribes about the development and design of an alternative proposal in a manner consistent with their sovereign and treaty rights. 

EFSECs recommendation achieves a delicate balance between the need for renewable energy development and the importance of conserving biodiversity, said Adam Maxwell, Senior Policy Manager. While we are pleased that EFSECs decision adheres to the best available science, reducing the project's size highlights the challenges of scaling clean energy development under current development frameworks. Washington state will need bold policy innovation to reach its climate goals and clean electricity mandates. 

插喝餃喝莉棗紳s climate science shows that two-thirds of North American birds are at increased risk of extinction if we dont limit the warming associated with climate change. As originally proposed, the Horse Heaven Wind project would have caused harm to state-listed Ferruginous Hawk and created barriers to landscape connectivity for shrub-steppe wildlife across a 113-square-mile area.