[BCNnet] Wind Guidelines

[Donnie Dann]

BCNnet friends and all bird conservationists: 

 

For the past several years and by direction of the Secretary of the Interior
a committee has been meeting to recommend Wind Energy siting and use
Guidelines.  These Guidelines have been prepared for the purpose of
minimizing the risk of wind farms to migratory birds, bats and other
wildlife.  As you see from the following announcement from the Federal
Register, the Guidelines have been agreed to and are in final form, subject
to public comment. 

 

The substance of the Guidelines is good but they have one fatal flaw as they
are voluntary, and in the opinion of almost all conservation advocates and
especially bird conservationists to have any teeth they must be made
MANDATORY.  Otherwise they are essentially meaningless.

 

Please go to http://www.fws.gov/windenergy/ and post your comment at
windenergy at fws.gov as it will be hugely helpful.  Just say something along
the lines "I strongly recommend that the recently promulgated Wind Energy
Guidelines be made mandatory".  Comments must be received by May 19, 2011.

 

Thank you very much,

 

Donnie Dann

Highland Park/Lake County

donniebird at yahoo.com

 

[Federal Register: March 2, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 41)]

[Notices]              

[Page 11506]

>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr02mr11-99]                        

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

 

Fish and Wildlife Service

 

[FWS-R9-FHC-2011-N037; 94300-1122-0000-Z2]

RIN 1018-AX45

 

 

Fisheries and Habitat Conservation and Migratory Birds Programs;

Draft Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines; Correction

 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

 

ACTION: Notice of availability; correction.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), published a

notice in the Federal Register on February 18, 2011, announcing the

availability for public comment of draft Land-Based Wind Energy

Guidelines (Guidelines). We are issuing a correction to that notice

because we believe it gave the erroneous impression the draft

Guidelines are ready for public use. However, our intention was for the

notice to only announce the availability of draft Guidelines for public

comment. We will publish the final Guidelines for public use after

consideration of any comments received. We hereby amend the SUMMARY and

DATES captions to clarify our intention.

 

DATES: This correction is effective March 2, 2011.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christy Johnson-Hughes, Division of

Habitat and Resource Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

Department of the Interior, (703) 358-1922. Individuals who are

hearing-impaired or speech-impaired may call the Federal Relay Service

at 1-800-877-8337 for TTY assistance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

 

Background

 

    We published a notice in the Federal Register on February 18, 2011

(76 FR 9590), announcing the availability for public comment of draft

Guidelines. The document contained some incorrect statements in the

SUMMARY and DATES captions. We regret any confusion they may have

caused.

    The SUMMARY caption included this sentence: ``These draft

Guidelines are intended to supersede the Service's 2003 voluntary,

interim guidelines for land-based wind development.'' In addition, the

DATES caption indicated that the draft Guidelines would be effective

February 18, 2011. However, the draft Guidelines we made available on

February 18 are a draft version and not final. They do not supersede

the Service's 2003 Interim Guidance on Avoiding and Minimizing Wildlife

Impacts from Wind Turbines (Interim Guidance).

    As stated in the notice, the comment period on the draft Guidelines

will close May 19, 2011. We expect to issue final Guidelines for public

use after consideration of any public comments received. The final

Guidelines will become effective after publication of a notice of

availability in the Federal Register and will supersede the Interim

Guidance.

 

Correction

 

    In the Federal Register of February 18, 2011, in FR Doc. 2011-3699,

on page 9590, in the first and second columns, correct the SUMMARY and

DATES captions to read as follows:

 

    SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),

announce the availability for public comment of draft Land-Based

Wind Energy Guidelines (Guidelines). These draft Guidelines do not

supersede the Service's 2003 Interim Guidance on Avoiding and

Minimizing Wildlife Impacts from Wind Turbines. We expect to issue

final Guidelines for public use after consideration of any public

comments received. The final Guidelines will become effective after

publication of a notice of availability in the Federal Register. The

final Guidelines will supersede the Service's 2003 Interim Guidance

on Avoiding and Minimizing Wildlife Impacts from Wind Turbines.

    DATES: We must receive any comments or suggestions on the draft

Guidelines by the end of the day on May 19, 2011.

 

    Dated: February 24, 2011.

Jeffrey L. Underwood,

Deputy Assistant Director, Fisheries and Habitat Conservation.

[FR Doc. 2011-4611 Filed 3-1-11; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

 

 

 

 

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