The Wind Turbine Guidelines Federal Advisory Committee appointed by the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has completed a set of draft recommendations aimed at minimizing the impacts of land-based wind farms on wildlife and its habitat.
Highlights of the committee’s recommendations include:
- A decision-making framework that guides all stages of wind energy development
- Reliance on the best available science when assessing renewable energy projects and their potential environmental impact
- Use of landscape-scaled planning that recognizes the need to think
long-term about protecting our nation’s economic and natural resources.
Salazar said he will review the recommendations and take them under advisement as he asks the Service to develop guidelines for evaluating wind energy development on public and private lands.
The group was created in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act and represents varied interests associated with wind energy development as well as wildlife management professionals. The Committee does not address off-shore wind energy development.
The committee reports to the Secretary of the Interior through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It functions solely as an advisory body, providing recommendations on effective measures to protect wildlife resources and coordinate the review and evaluation of facilities by state, tribal, local and federal agencies.
The draft report contains both policy recommendations and recommended voluntary guidelines for siting and operating wind energy projects in order to avoid or minimize potential impacts to wildlife and habitat.
A complete list of committee members and their affiliations, as well as the current draft consensus version and other information on the committee’s activities, is available online at the link below.
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