Protection of rare bird of prey could halt Donegal wind farm

Irish Raptor Study Group seeking High Court order quashing decision to grant permission

Wed, Sep 19, 2018, 15:34

Ray Managh

The protection of one of Ireland’s rarest birds of prey could potentially stop the multi-million-euro development of a wind farm in Meenbog, Co Donegal.

The Irish Raptor Study Group, a voluntary organisation committed to the monitoring for conservation purposes of birds of prey, particularly the Hen Harrier and Buzzard throughout Ireland, has been granted leave to legally challenge An Board Pleanála’s approval of the development.

Mr Justice David Barniville said in the High Court Wednesday that on October 25th he would consider setting a date for a judicial review and directed that all parties have relevant documentation lodged in court by October 19th.

Barrister David Browne, who appeared with Fred Logue of FP Logue Solicitors for the Study Group, told the court his client was seeking an order quashing the planning board’s decision of June 25th last granting the developer Planree Limited planning permission.

Although the main thrust of the proceedings is against An Bord Pleanála the developer and Donegal County Council have been joined as notice parties.

Ryan Wilson-Parr, of Gleann Alainn, Drogheda, Co Louth, who is chairman of the bird protection group, claims the planning permission is contrary to the European Birds Directive and to the Planning and Development Act.

Continued

RSPB Scotland welcomes rejection of Spango wind farm plans

Published by surfbirds on September 24, 2015 courtesy of RSPB, surfbirds archive

RSPB Scotland has today welcomed the decision by the planning committee of Dumfries and Galloway Council to reject proposals for the Spango wind farm.

The plans by Community Windpower Ltd for a wind farm 4km north of Sanquhar, threatened to damage an internationally important wildlife site. The proposed 14 turbines would have been located on part of the Muirkirk and North Lowther Uplands Special Protection Area (SPA), which is designated for its importance for species such as hen harrier, peregrine, merlin, short-eared owl and golden plover.

Planners at Dumfries and Galloway Council had recommended refusal for the proposal following a number of outstanding objections, including objections from RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

Continued ...

Proposed Scottish wind farm could put special breeding birds at risk

Red-throated Divers could be one of the species affected if the this Flow Country wind farm goes ahead, says RSPB Scotland

The future of special breeding birds could be in jeopardy if the planned wind farm for the heart of the Flow Country in Caithness and Sutherland gets the green light, the RSPB Scotland has warned.

A public local inquiry has been held to scrutinise an application by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), which wants to build a 39 turbine wind farm at Strathy South.

RSPB Scotland's Conservation Planner for North Scotland, Peter Gordon, has highlighted the possible fate of a range of birds, including Greenshanks and Red-throated Divers which breed at Strathy South.

He says: "These two species are characteristic of the wildest parts of the Highlands and Islands and don't breed anywhere else in Britain. This wind farm would be built in an area that is very important for both species.

"One of the most wonderful wildlife experiences you can have in the Flow Country is to witness the aerial breeding display of Greenshanks as they circle and call above their territories.

Continued ...

RSPB Scotland warns against impacts of proposed Flow Country wind farm

Posted on: 13 Jun 2015

The RSPB has issued a warning about a controversial renewable energy proposal in the Flow Country, as a government inquiry draws to a close.

RSPB Scotland has expressed grave concerns over the fate of rare and scarce breeding birds if a contentious wind farm, planned for the heart of the Flow Country in Caithness and Sutherland, gets the green light. A public local inquiry has been held this week to scrutinise an application by energy giant Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), which wants to build a 39-turbine wind farm at Strathy South. The sessions held have mainly focused on the potential impact of the development on birds, and were due to draw to a close yesterday evening (Friday 12).

RSPB Scotland's Conservation Planner for North Scotland, Peter Gordon, has highlighted the possible fate of a range of species, including Greenshank and Red-throated Diver, which breed at Strathy South. He said: "These two species are characteristic of the wildest parts of the highlands and islands and don't breed anywhere else in Britain. This wind farm would be built in an area that is very important for both species.

"One of the most wonderful wildlife experiences you can have in the Flow Country is to witness the aerial breeding display of Greenshanks as they circle and call above their territories. It is magical and sums up the spirit of these remote places, but their displays could take them straight into the spaces where the turbine blades would be spinning.

Continued ...

Spango crew guns for bird charity

Community Windpower has slammed the RSPB for its opposition to plans for the 14-turbine Spango wind farm in south-west Scotland.

The developer said the bird charity "has actively tried to hinder the planning application through a public campaign" based on unacceptable environmental impacts.

CWP said it was disappointed with the approach and that a recent submission of the plans demonstrate "that the wind farm could actually enhance the ecological and ornithological conditions of the local area".

Spango is located within the Muirkirk and North Lowther Uplands special protection area and CWP said development could help to address "current problems contributing to the unfavourable conditions" of the "poor quality" SPA.

Three out of five species in the SPA are in danger and CWP said "recovery of these species is unlikely under the present management".

Continued ...

Bird lovers balk at wind farm

by Jimmy Tobias

A battle over birds is unfolding at a new wind farm just east of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. It pits a Spanish company against a California utility, while bird lovers watch from the sidelines to see who wins.

The Rim Rock wind farm, owned and operated by the Spanish company NaturEner, is located near a high-density breeding and nesting ground for golden eagles and ferruginous hawks northwest of Shelby.

"Kevin Rim is a great place for wind but it is also an incredible place for raptors," says Janet Ellis, program director of Montana Audubon. "The turbines are sitting on top of this rim and they have identified seven golden eagle nests in the area, 47 ferruginous hawk nests, ... 10 different species of raptors that nest on the rim, and it has been known for a long time as a mecca for raptors in Montana." She adds that Kevin Rim is an Audubon-designated Important Bird Area.

One of the wind farm's principal clients, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, wants to back out of its commitments with NaturEner because of the threat the farm poses to birds in the area. The two companies took the issue to court in December, with SDG&E filing a lawsuit in California and NaturEner filing suit in Montana.

Continued

State approves wind farm despite bird threats

Final approval must come from federal level

Threats to birds didn't stop state regulators from approving an energy-producing wind farm — with towering, whirling blades — planned for Palm Beach County sugar cane fields.

The Sugarland Wind proposal calls for building at least 114 wind-catching, Statue of Liberty-sized turbines that would be spread across 13,000 acres of farmland in western Palm Beach County.

Continued

Rare birds threat could decimate giant Strathy wind farm plan

Credit: The Northern Times | 06/12/2013 | www.northern-times.co.uk ~~

The developers of a proposed 47-turbine wind farm near Strathy in Sutherland could be forced to reduce that number to only four.

This forecast has come from RSPB Scotland, as Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) this week confirmed it was continuing its opposition to the scheme in a bid to safeguard many of Britain’s rarest birds in the area.

Its experts say golden eagles, hen harriers, red-throated divers and greenshank are only some of the most iconic species which would be affected if the Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) plans for a Strathy South wind farm go ahead.

Continued

Good News for Birds as Everglades Wind Farm Scrapped

And now, a Thanksgivukkah miracle for the birds:

This week, Wind Capital Group announced that it will not move forward with the Sugarland Wind Farm, a project that would have placed 124 Statue of Liberty-sized wind turbines in the Everglades Agricultural Area.

A consultant for Wind Capital Group cited to "market issues" and the lack of economic incentives for renewable energy in Florida as the reason. In a way, this is a shame. Renewable energy is the future and we want to see it flourish in our state. As Florida faces the specter of sea level rise and saltwater intrusion from climate change, reducing reliance on fossil fuels that increase greenhouse gases is an absolute must.

Continued

Fine of $1 million for wind farm bird kills

Rich Keller, Editor, Ag Professional | December 2, 2013

A wind farm energy company has agreed to pay $1 million in fines, restitution and community service because it erected wind generators in Wyoming and didn’t do enough to not kill migratory birds, including 14 golden eagles, according to a report by the E&E news service written by Phil Taylor.

The fine is only part of a plea agreement submitted to the U.S. District Court of Wyoming between Duke Energy Corporation based in North Carolina and the federal Department of Justice’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division. Duke Energy must implement an environmental compliance plan to prevent future bird deaths. The company is also on five years of probation. The company says it will be spending $600,000 per year implementing its compliance plan. Company representatives will also be meeting with representatives of the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to “develop adaptive mitigation measures.” 

Continued

Bird group says ND wind farm needs tougher review

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bird advocacy group says a proposed North Dakota wind farm should undergo a stricter environmental review of threats posed to the endangered whooping crane.

The Washington-based American Bird Conservancy said Friday that it was among 76 groups calling for the tougher review of the Merricourt Wind Power Project.

The group says the coalition is asking the federal Fish and Wildlife Service to prepare an environmental impact statement for the project instead of an abbreviated environmental assessment. The conservancy says the 100 turbine project is planned in a key migration route for many birds, including endangered whooping cranes and threatened piping plovers.

Project developer enXco had originally planned to sell the wind power to Xcel Energy, which dropped out in 2011 over potential harm to the two bird species.

http://newsok.com/bird-group-says-nd-wind-farm-needs-tougher-review/article/feed/498425

Wind farm in Lesotho could cause the local extinction of vultures

Wind farm could endanger Cape and Bearded vultures - Courtesy of Birdlife

January 2013. BirdLife South Africa and BirdLife International are very concerned that the proposed development of a wind farm at Letseng in Lesotho could have severe impacts on the already declining populations of Cape Vultures and Lammergeiers. South Africa and Lesotho share the responsibility of safeguarding the populations of Lammergeiers and Cape Vultures in the Lesotho Highlands and the surrounding escarpment of South Africa.

PowerNET Developments (Pty) Ltd propose to erect 42 wind turbines (each with a capacity of 850 kW) near Letšeng-La-Terae, on the north-eastern escarpment of the Drakensberg. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the proposed Letseng Wind Farm is in its final stages of completion. The avifaunal specialist report, compiled by well-respected ornithologist Dr Andrew Jenkins, indicates that even with mitigation, the anticipated impacts of the project on highly unique and sensitive avifauna will be of high to very high negative significance, rendering the project unsustainable.

Significant impacts on bird populations
While wind energy is fairly new to southern Africa, poorly located wind turbines elsewhere in the world have had significant impacts on bird populations. Impacts include loss of habitat, disturbance and mortality through collisions with the turbine blades. In Smøla, Norway, for example, wind farms caused the local population of White-tailed Eagles (also known as Sea Eagles) to plunge by 95% - reducing the number from 19 eagle pairs to only one pair.

Such devastating impacts have not occurred at all wind farms. "The considered location of wind farms is the key to ensuring that impacts on birds are kept to a minimum", says Samantha Ralston, Birds and Renewable Energy Manager for BirdLife South Africa. Among other things, turbines should be kept well away from areas frequently used by collision-prone birds such as large-bodied raptors.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cape-vultures.html

Harrier deaths renew calls for continued windfarm monitoring

Last modified: 21 December 2012

RSPB Scotland has today ( 21st  December 2012)  confirmed that  an adult male hen harrier was found dead at a Perthshire wind farm, with a second bird found injured three weeks later. Hen harriers are a scarce species that hunt over rough grazings and moorland.

The birds were discovered on separate occasions earlier this Spring, in the same section of the Griffin Wind Farm, near Aberfeldy. The area had been forestry that was clear felled to aid the wind farms construction and operation.

RSPB Scotland is now able to confirm that no further hen harriers appear to have been affected at the windfarm during 2012. RSPB Scotland staff have been working closely with operators SSE to avoid any repeat tragedies. This has included visits to the site and advice to increase post-construction monitoring. This will enable staff to understand how the birds use the site, particularly during the species’ display period.

The Griffin Wind farm, comprising 68 turbines, was granted permission in 2009. It was switched on in two phases, starting in March and becoming fully operational in July 2012.

The first hen harrier was discovered by engineers below a turbine on the 18th April, just three weeks later a second male was found unable to take off close to the same turbine. The bird was found to have an injured wing and sadly later died.

Aedán Smith, head of planning and development at RSPB Scotland said : “This is a tragic situation and is likely to have had an impact on the local breeding success of this vulnerable species. Sustained persecution has placed the hen harrier under significant pressure, with the raptor teetering on the brink of extinction in England.  However, wind farm collisions, the apparent reason for the death of these two birds, remain very rare events indeed.

Continued:  http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/336895-harrier-deaths-renew-calls-for-continued-windfarm-monitoring

Donald Trump in fresh Aberdeen wind farm attack

Donald Trump has launched another attack on plans for a wind farm off the coast of his Aberdeenshire golf course.

The £230m project is a joint venture by Vattenfall, Technip and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (Areg).
Several organisations, such as Scottish Natural Heritage and RSPB Scotland, have dropped opposition.
Mr Trump said: "Their name should be changed to RSKB - Royal Society for the Killing of Birds, to reflect their pro-wind turbine position."

The US billionaire claims the turbines would spoil the sea views for golfers on his course at Menie.

Read on:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-19848894

 
http://news.stv.tv/north/193510-trump-launches-tirade-against-first-minister-and-rspb-over-wind-farm/