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Title: Sage-Grouse and Wind Energy: Biology, Habits, and Potential Effects from Development

Abstract

Proposed development of domestic energy resources, including wind energy, is expected to impact the sagebrush steppe ecosystem in the western United States. The greater sage-grouse relies on habitats within this ecosystem for survival, yet very little is known about how wind energy development may affect sage-grouse. The purpose of this report is to inform organizations of the impacts wind energy development could have on greater sage-grouse populations and identify information needed to fill gaps in knowledge.

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
962840
Report Number(s):
PNNL-18567
EB2502010; TRN: US200917%%119
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
17 WIND ENERGY; BIOLOGY; ECOSYSTEMS; WIND POWER

Citation Formats

Becker, James M., Tagestad, Jerry D., Duberstein, Corey A., and Downs, Janelle L.. Sage-Grouse and Wind Energy: Biology, Habits, and Potential Effects from Development. United States: N. p., 2009. Web. doi:10.2172/962840.
Becker, James M., Tagestad, Jerry D., Duberstein, Corey A., & Downs, Janelle L.. Sage-Grouse and Wind Energy: Biology, Habits, and Potential Effects from Development. United States. doi:10.2172/962840.
Becker, James M., Tagestad, Jerry D., Duberstein, Corey A., and Downs, Janelle L.. Wed . "Sage-Grouse and Wind Energy: Biology, Habits, and Potential Effects from Development". United States. doi:10.2172/962840. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/962840.
@article{osti_962840,
title = {Sage-Grouse and Wind Energy: Biology, Habits, and Potential Effects from Development},
author = {Becker, James M. and Tagestad, Jerry D. and Duberstein, Corey A. and Downs, Janelle L.},
abstractNote = {Proposed development of domestic energy resources, including wind energy, is expected to impact the sagebrush steppe ecosystem in the western United States. The greater sage-grouse relies on habitats within this ecosystem for survival, yet very little is known about how wind energy development may affect sage-grouse. The purpose of this report is to inform organizations of the impacts wind energy development could have on greater sage-grouse populations and identify information needed to fill gaps in knowledge.},
doi = {10.2172/962840},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2009},
month = {Wed Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2009}
}

Technical Report:

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  • This report discusses the effects of wind power projects on sage grouse.
  • This study was conducted to obtain baseline data on use of the proposed Simpson Ridge Wind Resource Area (SRWRA) in Carbon County, Wyoming by greater sage-grouse. The first two study years were designed to determine pre-construction seasonally selected habitats and population-level vital rates (productivity and survival). The presence of an existing wind energy facility in the project area, the PacifiCorp Seven Mile Hill (SMH) project, allowed us to obtain some information on initial sage-grouse response to wind turbines the first two years following construction. To our knowledge these are the first quantitative data on sage-grouse response to an existing windmore » energy development. This report presents results of the first two study years (April 1, 2009 through March 30, 2011). This study was selected for continued funding by the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative Sage-Grouse Collaborative (NWCC-SGC) and has been ongoing since March 30, 2011. Future reports summarizing results of this research will be distributed through the NWCC-SGC. To investigate population trends through time, we determined the distribution and numbers of males using leks throughout the study area, which included a 4-mile radius buffer around the SRWRA. Over the 2-year study, 116 female greater sage-grouse were captured by spotlighting and use of hoop nets on roosts surrounding leks during the breeding period. Radio marked birds were located anywhere from twice a week to once a month, depending on season. All radio-locations were classified to season. We developed predictor variables used to predict success of fitness parameters and relative probability of habitat selection within the SRWRA and SMH study areas. Anthropogenic features included paved highways, overhead transmission lines, wind turbines and turbine access roads. Environmental variables included vegetation and topography features. Home ranges were estimated using a kernel density estimator. We developed resource selection functions (RSF) to estimate probability of selection within the SRWRA and SMH. Fourteen active greater sage-grouse leks were documented during lek surveys Mean lek size decreased from 37 in 2008 to 22 in 2010. Four leks located 0.61, 1.3, 1.4 and 2.5 km from the nearest wind turbine remained active throughout the study, but the total number of males counted on these four leks decreased from 162 the first year prior to construction (2008), to 97 in 2010. Similar lek declines were noted in regional leks not associated with wind energy development throughout Carbon County. We obtained 2,659 sage-grouse locations from radio-equipped females, which were used to map use of each project area by season. The sage-grouse populations within both study areas are relatively non-migratory, as radio-marked sage-grouse used similar areas during all annual life cycles. Potential impacts to sage-grouse from wind energy infrastructure are not well understood. The data rom this study provide insight into the early interactions of wind energy infrastructure and sage-grouse. Nest success and brood-rearing success were not statistically different between areas with and without wind energy development in the short-term. Nest success also was not influenced by anthropogenic features such as turbines in the short-term. Additionally, female survival was similar among both study areas, suggesting wind energy infrastructure was not impacting female survival in the short-term; however, further analysis is needed to identify habitats with different levels of risk to better understand the impact of wind enregy development on survival. Nest and brood-rearing habitat selection were not influenced by turbines in the short-term; however, summer habitat selection occurred within habitats closer to wind turbines. Major roads were avoided in both study areas and during most of the seasons. The impact of transmission lines varied among study areas, suggesting other landscape features may be influencing selection. The data provided in this report are preliminary and are not meant to provide a basis for forming any conclusions regarding potential impacts of wind energy development on sage-grouse. Although the data collected during the initial phases of this study indicate that greater sage-grouse may continue to use habitats near wind-energy facilities, research conducted on greater sage-grouse response to oil and gas development has found population declines may not occur until 2-10 years after development. Therefore, long-term data from several geographic areas within the range of the sage-grouse will likely be required to adequately assess impacts of wind-energy development on greater sage-grouse.« less
  • Deep C Wind, a consortium headed by the University of Maine will test the first U.S. offshore wind platforms in 2012. In advance of final siting and permitting of the test turbines off Monhegan Island, residents of the island off Maine require reassurance that the noise levels from the test turbines will not disturb them. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, at the request of the University of Maine, and with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Program, modeled the acoustic output of the planned test turbines.
  • The first phase of an evaluation of the potential for environmental effects from the development of wind energy was completed. A keyworded bibliography concerning microclimatic alterations by wind and reactions of flora and fauna to altered wind regimes is presented. This literature serves as background material for discussion of potential microclimatic and ecological effects. A baseline climatological and biological survey of the ERDA/NASA 100 kW Experimental Wind Turbine site near Sandusky, Ohio, provides input to a follow-on field program designed to provide quantification of the operational effects of the 100 kW wind energy system on the environment which is developedmore » and currently being undertaken. The operation of wind energy conversion systems does not appear to involve any unusual environment effects. As presently conceived, wind energy systems will produce no significant thermal or chemical effluents. Land requirements are minimal and compatible with many other land uses.« less
  • On April 21, 2011, an Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Land Use Committee meeting was convened to support a Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) unofficial request to obtain Land Use Committee comments pertaining to the proposed Sage-Grouse Breeding Habitat Regulations. Two documents were provided from DOE-ID pertaining to the proposed regulations: “Guidelines for INL Site Activities within Sage-grouse Breeding Habitat” and “Guidelines for New Infrastructure Development and Future Activities on the INL Site.” The INL Land Use Committee agreed to conduct this unofficial review in the spirit of collaboration between DOE-ID and the INL Land Use Committee. However, throughmore » this cursory review, significant concerns were raised regarding the guidelines, INL financial obligations, and the draft Candidate Conservation Agreement, which was not part of the requested review but is referred to by the guideline. Therefore, it is the position of the INL Land Use Committee, based on the issues raised in its cursory review, that DOE-ID request INL (through contractual channels) to conduct a formal review of the draft Candidate Conservation Agreement and guidelines. A formal review would allow ample time to thoroughly review the extensive draft regulations, identify areas of concern, and establish impacts (e.g., cost and project delays).« less