[BCNnet] Wind energy project near Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin

Robbie Hunsinger redstart1 at earthlink.net
Fri Jul 15 18:35:47 CDT 2005


Is the land near wildlife refuges  and natural areas free or something?
Perhaps wind is covered under the mining law . I just cant figure it out.

I cannot figure out why most turbine projects just happen to be right next
to critical wildlife habitat such as Horicon Marsh.

I have never heard of  a trubine project going up on a brownfield  or paved
area of land for example, yet they are on top of the Appalachians ( with
much bat mortality in particular I understand), proposed to go into the
critical ocean area around Cape Cod and now Horicon Marsh.

I wonder how many miles away from a landing site do the birds start losing
elevation . Siting turbines a couple of miles from Horicon might be right in
the flight path for landings.  I understand many turbines are 400 feet tall.
The other critical issues about turbines are required lighting and guy wires
and even just electric cables coming out of the place that can pose hazards
for birds.

Are the turbines built yet in Bureau County Il near the wildlife habitat
there? I haven¹t heard any news on that lately.

It seems to me this industry is not following guidelines for placement and
that is the whole game in my opinion,

Until we can get them to follow guidelines for placement , it seems that
they have free rein to destroy or compromise any land they can get.

A promise of a mortality study does not make it any more reasonable to me.
I have heard of turbine mortality studies where they went out irregularly,
after predator hours and looked for carcasses.

Given our experiences with strikes and predators, this is a less than
adequate regimen. We also know from downtown that one night you may have 3
birds hit on the route and the next you could have 60. It just depends,  Off
and on monitoring of turbines really concerns me.

Thanks for posting this Bob.  I would not have known otherwise.

Robbie

Robbie Hunsinger
Founder & Director
Chicago Bird Collision Monitors
http://www.birdmonitors.net




> The piece pasted below was posted to wisbirdn, the Wisconsin birders listserv.
> In view of the discussion at yesterday's quarterly BCN meeting about wind
> energy generation, the American Bird Conservancy policy, etc., I thought
> BCNnetters and representatives to the BCN coalition would be interested in
> what's happening at Horicon
> 
> Regards
> Bob Fisher
> 
> In a very interesting development in the news, the Public Service Commision
> has accepted the plan for the 133-turbine Forward Energy
> wind installation near Brownsville. It looks like a fairly-reasonable
> compromise was reached, with the PSC deciding that no turbines may be
> located within 2 miles of Horicon NWR.
> 
>> >From the article in the Business Journal: (see
> http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2005/07/04/daily29.html?j
> st=b_ln_hl  ): 
> 
> "Under the decision, the PSC stipulates that none of the turbines must be
> within two miles of the Horicon Marsh to protect the wildlife.
> 
> On average, turbines will be 4 miles to 4.5 miles away from the marsh, the
> agency said. In addition, the PSC requires Forward Energy to vigorously
> pursue post construction studies to learn more about impacts on birds and
> bats in the area.
> 
> 'The Horicon Marsh is a national treasure,' PSC chairman Dan Ebert said in
> a statement. 'The possible impacts on birds due to the wind project's
> proximity to the Horicon Marsh required a larger buffer zone between the
> wind turbines and the marsh, as proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
> Service and Department of Natural Resources.' "
> 
> The USFWS and WDNR had suggested a greater "setback" distance, but at least
> this acts on that concern. Some may be still dissatistfied with this
> distance - you can decide for yourself.
> 
> William P. Mueller
> Issues Committee Chair, Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative (WBCI)
> Conservation Chair, Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (WSO)
> 1242 S. 45 St.
> Milwaukee, WI 53214
> (414) 643-7279
> E-mail: iltlawas at earthlink.net
> 
> 
> 
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> 


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