Good Morning, Everyone.

Passing along a message from Kelly Fuller, Wind Campaign Coordinator with American Bird Conservancy.
The following is taken directly from Kelly's email.  If the formatting gets clobbered here, email me at [log in to unmask] and I'll forward the message from ABC to you directly.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing changes to the eagle take permit rules (see press release below). ABC will be preparing comments. Please contact me if you'd like to participate with us in opposing 30-year programmatic incidental take permits for eagles. Best wishes, Kelly FullerWind Campaign Coordinator  |  American Bird Conservancy1731 Connecticut Ave. NW, Third Floor  |  Washington, D.C.  20009
Tel: (202) 234-7181, ext. 212  |  Email: [log in to unmask] The notices will be published in the Federal Register on 4/13/12, but you can read them now on the Public Inspection desk: https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2012-08086.pdf https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2012-08087.pdf# # # # # #
ProposedFederal Rule Change Will Lead to More Dead Eagles at Wind Energy Projects
DOI Intendsto Weaken Protections for Eagles after Pressure from Wind IndustryMEDIARELEASEContact:Robert Johns, 202-234-7181 ext.210, ((Washington,D.C., April 12, 2012) American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation's leadingbird conservation organization, has charged that the eagle rule change proposedtoday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will result in more eaglesbeing killed at wind energy projects. "ABCsupports wind power when it is bird-smart, but this proposed rule change willlead to more dead eagles, more costly lawsuits, and more Americans who willwonder why the wind industry keeps getting a free pass to kill some of ournation's most iconic birds," said Kelly Fuller, ABC's Wind CampaignCoordinator. Currently,wind energy companies and other businesses can apply to FWS for permit thatallows them to kill limited numbers of eagles as part of their normal operationsif they also commit to a series of compensatory actions to offset this damage.These "programmatic incidental take permits" granted under the Bald and GoldenEagle Protection Act must be renewed every five years. However, at the requestof the wind energy industry, FWS has now proposed making the permits good for30 years."It issimply irresponsible of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to propose granting30-year take permits for birds such as eagles, which have populations that arestill in a precarious state. Just three years ago, the FWS concluded in apublished rulemaking that they shouldn't grant permits for longer than fiveyears "because factors may change over a longer period of time such that a takeauthorized much earlier would later be incompatible with the preservation ofthe bald eagle or the golden eagle." The underlying science has not changed,and there is no proven method for fixing a wind farm so that it no longer killseagles, short of turning off the turbines," said Fuller."FWS saysthat it has relatively little information about the impacts of wind energy oneagles, and yet, here they are proposing to extend the permit time for windcompanies to kill them from five to 30 years, without having done the requisiteenvironmental impact studies on the species. Conversely, FWS has provided pagesof analysis of the potential financial impacts on industry by granting themthree decades worth of legal cover to kill eagles," Fuller said. "Thisproposed rule is yet another example of the Interior Department's misplacedpriority in promoting one energy production method at the avoidable expense ofour nation's birds, bats, and other wildlife. We hope the American publicloudly protests this move to give irresponsible wind developers a free pass tokill two of our most inspiring birds - Bald and Golden Eagles." Fuller said.Inaddition, today FWS announced the opening of a 90-day public comment period onthe eagle take permit rules.# # #

AmericanBird Conservancy (ABC) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit membership organizationwhose mission is to conserve native birds and their habitats throughout theAmericas. ABC acts by safeguarding the rarest species, conserving and restoringhabitats, and reducing threats, while building capacity in the birdconservation movement.


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