Avian 1995 - Abstract

1995 National Avian-Wind Power Planning Meeting Proceedings

ABSTRACT

National Avian - Wind Power Planning Meeting II was organized by the Avian Workgroup of the National Wind Coordinating Committee. Government regulators, scientists and other stakeholders met in Palm Springs, Calif., on 20-22 September 1995 to share ideas about research that could be helpful in predicting and reducing bird mortality from wind turbines. This meeting was the second in a series. The purposes of this meeting were to

provide information on avian/wind power interactions that will help meet the needs of regulators, researchers, and other stakeholders concerned with responsible development and permitting of wind plants;

create dialogue among regulators, researchers and other stakeholders to help all parties understand the role that research can play in responsible development and permitting of wind plants, and allow researchers to understand the relevance of their research to the process; and

propose research projects and the appropriate sponsorship.

The meeting began with oral presentations and discussions of nine White Papers on the theory and methods for studying and understanding impacts. These were organized into three groups:

Stakeholder Questions, Interests and Concerns;

Fundamental Methodologies (study design, "metrics", models); and

Observation Protocols (surveys, migration monitoring, mortality searches).

The Proceedings includes the written version of each of the nine White Papers, plus a summary of the oral discussion associated with each paper.

The second part of the meeting consisted of four Workgroup sessions:

Site evaluation and pre-permit research and planning;

Operational monitoring;

Modeling and forecasting, including population dynamics models; and

Avian behavior and mortality reduction.

The Proceedings includes a summary of the discussions on these topics, including each Workgroup's recommendations for future research or associated activities.

A final plenary session drew together the main recommendations. These included the following topics, as described in the "Next Steps" section of the Proceedings:

Development of a framework or conceptual model of the principal causes of avian mortality at wind plants;

Further definition of the most appropriate "metrics" (variables); and

Further develop the research protocols, data collection guidelines, and statistical analysis techniques appropriate for this field.

Mechanisms for implementing these main recommendations were suggested. In addition, there were other recommendations regarding a process for future updates to the framework and protocols, formation of a Technical Review Committee, further evaluation of radar and other methods to document bird movements, and development of procedures to assess cumulative effects.

Table of Contents

Formatted for the Web by:
National Wind Coordinating Committee
c/o RESOLVE, 1255 23rd Street NW, Suite 875, Washington, DC 20037
(888) 764-WIND (202) 965-6398 fax: (202) 338-1264 nwcc@resolv.org

	provide information on avian/wind power interactions that will help meet the needs of regulators, researchers, and other stakeholders concerned with responsible development and permitting of wind plants;
	create dialogue among regulators, researchers and other stakeholders to help all parties understand the role that research can play in responsible development and permitting of wind plants, and allow researchers to understand the relevance of their research to the process; and

	Stakeholder Questions, Interests and Concerns;
	Fundamental Methodologies (study design, "metrics", models); and
	Observation Protocols (surveys, migration monitoring, mortality searches).

	Site evaluation and pre-permit research and planning;
	Operational monitoring;
	Modeling and forecasting, including population dynamics models; and
	Avian behavior and mortality reduction.

	Development of a framework or conceptual model of the principal causes of avian mortality at wind plants;
	Further definition of the most appropriate "metrics" (variables); and
	Further develop the research protocols, data collection guidelines, and statistical analysis techniques appropriate for this field.