According to KTVZ, the Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service has released a proposal that would give West Butte Wind Power LLC a permit to legally kill golden eagles in central Oregon. The permit is the first of its kind and in this case, West Butte's wind turbines would be able to kill up to three protected golden eagles over a five-year span as long as the company contributes to conservation efforts for the species.
The department is allowing for public comment on the draft permit until Feb. 2. With this major announcement, here are some facts on wind energy's impact on birds:
* Wind turbine blades have taken a toll on birds of prey, including red-tailed hawks, burrowing owls, and eagles, noted an article from USA Today.
* Under federal laws that protect eagles and other migratory birds, the Fish and Wildlife Service can prosecute wind energy companies responsible for bird kills.
* So far only a handful of studies have looked at birds deaths due to wind turbines, also known as "avian mortality," and higher levels of mortality have been found near coasts and areas with large concentrations of birds, reported the American Wind Energy Association.
* A two-year study of the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, a project with 7,000 turbines, found 182 dead birds, of which 119 were birds of prey and concluded that 55 percent of raptor deaths were due to collisions with the wind turbines.
* The American Bird Conservancy added that with the U.S.'s goal of generating 20 percent of its electricity from wind by 2030 there is also the estimate that wind will be killing at least one million birds each year.
* In addition to colliding with the gigantic fiberglass turbine blades, wind energy projects can also cause habitat loss, a major problem for especially if the habitat is essential for feeding or breeding.
* According to the Wall Street Journal, wind energy kills between 75,000 and 275,000 birds every single year and the number killed at each project can vary greatly.
* A 2005 Forest Service report estimated that 28,000 birds are killed by wind turbines every year while a 2009 report by a Fish and Wildlife research puts the number at 440,000 annual bird deaths due to the turbines.
* One of the ways energy companies can minimize the impact on migrating birds is by planning the project site carefully and taking into account migration patterns on animals that use the habitat.
* Last February, the Fish and Wildlife Service proposed new and voluntary guidelines for onshore wind energy development that would help avoid harming wildlife, reported the Associated Press.
Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.
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