A quarter-mile buffer between wind turbines and nests won’t keep raptors from being killed by the proposed Horse Heaven wind project in southeast Washington, state wildlife biologists say.
A buffer would only minimize disturbance to nesting raptors during construction, state wildlife biologist Jason Fiddora told the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council Nov. 29.
kAm“%92E :D?’E 8@:?8 E@ C6DF=E :? C65F465 >@CE2=:E:6D 27E6C 4@?DECF4E:@?[” 96 D2:5] “%96 9@>6 C2?86D 2?5 7@C28:?8 2C62D @7 E96D6 ?6DE:?8 C2AE@CD H:== 6I4665 2 BF2CE6C >:=6]”k^Am
kAmu:55@C2 2?5 76==@H u:D9 2?5 (:=5=:76 3:@=@8:DE y2>6D (2ED@? H2C?65 E96 4@F?4:= 23@FE A@E6?E:2= 92K2C5D :7 v@G] y2J x?D=66 2AAC@G6D A=24:?8 ab` EFC3:?6D 2?5 d[___ 24C6D @7 D@=2C A2?6=D @? C@==:?8 9:==D ?62C E96 %C:\r:E:6D]k^Am
kAm!C@A@D65 3J $4@FE r=62? t?6C8J[ 2 q@F=56C[ r@=@][ 4@>A2?J @H?65 3J 8=@32= :?G6DE>6?E 7:C>[ qC@@<7:6=5 pDD6E |2?286>6?E[ E96 4@>3:?65 H:?5 2?5 D@=2C :?DE2==2E:@? H@F=5 36 E96 DE2E6’D =2C86DE C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J A=2?E]k^Am
kAm%96 4@F?4:=[ >256 FA >@DE=J @7 @77:4:2=D 4@??64E65 E@ E96 x?D=66 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ H:== DF3>:E 2 C64@>>6?52E:@? E@ x?D=66[ H9@ 92D >256 A6C>:EE:?8 H:?5 2?5 D@=2C AC@;64ED k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]42A:E2=AC6DD]4@>^4=:>2E60492?865^@?\H@C=5\DE286\:?D=66\564C:6D\?:>3J:D>\:?\H2D9:?8E@?^2CE:4=605f754f3e\ecc6\``65\3dbf\b3g_gedfc3dc]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm2 9:89 AC:@C:EJk^2m] %96 AC@;64E H:== 96=A E96 DE2E6 >66E :ED 4=62?\6?6C8J 8@2=D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ $4@FE]k^Am
k9bm%FC3:?6D :? 92H< E6CC:E@C:6Dk^9bm
kAm%96 4@F?4:=’D DE277 92D AC@5F465 2 C6A@CE 24<?@H=658:?8 E96 EFC3:?6D H@F=5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]42A:E2=AC6DD]4@>^4=:>2E60492?865^C6A@CE\9@CD6\962G6?\H:?5>:==D\H@F=5\5@>:?2E6\=2?5D42A6^2CE:4=602bcgeb_4\fg63\``66\36c7\ebce`2_`hh44]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm5@>:?2E6 E96 =2?5D42A6k^2m 2?5 E92E E96 AC@;64E H@F=5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]42A:E2=AC6DD]4@>^280D64E@CD^CFC2==:76^9@CD6\962G6?\H:?5\2?5\D@=2C\AC@;64E\D66?\2D\E9C62E\E@\EC:32=\AC@A6CE:6D^2CE:4=602g643_3_\e6_d\``66\hcb2\cb72h2_`da3e]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm:>A24E 4F=EFC2= C6D@FC46Dk^2m :>A@CE2?E E@ E96 *2<2>2 }2E:@?]k^Am
kAm~? }@G] ah[ E96 4@F?4:= 962C5 >@C6 4@?46C?D 23@FE E96 AC@;64E 7C@> u:55@C2 2?5 (2ED@?[ H9@ BF6DE:@?65 E96 DF77:4:6?4J @7 D@>6 @7 E96 >62DFC6D AC@A@D65 3J $4@FE 2?5 E96 4@F?4:=’D DE277 E@ AC@E64E 3:C5D]k^Am
kAm%96 >62DFC6D =2C86=J C6BF:C6 $4@FE E@ 2G@:5 5:DEFC3:?8 ?6DED 2?5 923:E2E :7 762D:3=6 2?5 E@ <66A EC24< @7 3:C5D <:==65 3J C@E2E:?8 3=256D] $4@FE 2?5 E649?:42= 25G:D@CD >2J 4@?76C @? “252AE:G6 >2?286>6?E DEC2E68:6D]”k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ @?6 >:E:82E:@? >62DFC6[ $4@FE H:== ECJ E@ 2G@:5 A=24:?8 EFC3:?6D H:E9:? a >:=6D @7 E96 ?6DED @7 76CCF8:?@FD 92H<D[ E96 3:C5 E92E 92D 5C2H? E96 >@DE 2EE6?E:@? 2?5 A@E6?E:2= AC@E64E:@?] (2ED@? D2:5 92H<D FD6 >@C6 E92? @?6 ?6DE[ 4C62E:?8 E6CC:E@C:6D 7@C 6249 >2E:?8 A2:C] %96 AC@;64E AC@A@D6D AFEE:?8 EFC3:?6D H:E9:? a >:=6D @7 `a @7 E96 `g 92H< E6CC:E@C:6D H:E9:? E96 AC@;64E 3@F?52CJ[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D E96 2C62 x H@F=5 =@@< 2E 2D 36:?8 E96 >@DE 4C:E:42= E@ 36 AC@E64E65 3642FD6 E92E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 E96 2C62 E92E E96J FD6 @? 2 52:=J 32D:D[ 7=J:?8 :? 2?5 @FE @7 EFC3:?6D[” (2ED@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%96D6 3:C5D 2C6 23D@=FE6=J DFD46AE:3=6 E@ EFC3:?6 DEC:<6D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(2ED@? D2:5 C646?E C6D62C49 DF886DED E96 ?F>36C @7 C2G6?D 2?5 8C62E 9@C?65 @H=D :?4C62D6D 2C@F?5 H:?5 AC@;64ED] q@E9 2C6 4@>A6E:E@CD 2?5 4@F=5 AC6J @? J@F?8 76CCF8:?@FD 92H<D 2?5 DE62= 688D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D 2?@E96C 4@?46C? H6 92G6 H:E9 492?86D :? E96 :>>65:2E6 =2?5D42A6 2C@F?5 E96 76CCF8:?@FD 92H<D[” (2ED@? D2:5]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C >:E:82E:@? >62DFC6 H@F=5 36 E@ AC6D6CG6 E96 923:E2E @7 E96 D2863CFD9 DA2CC@H[ D286 E9C2D96C[ '2FI’D DH:7E 2?5 E96 D@?83:C5 =@886C9625 D9C:<6]k^Am
kAmu:55@C2 D2:5 E96 AC@3=6> :D E92E E9@D6 3:C5D 7=J E9C@F89 E96 2C62] “%96J’C6 E2=<:?8 23@FE 923:E2E @?D:E6 2?5 >@DE @7 E96D6 W3:C5DX 2C6 >:8C2?ED[” 96 D2:5] “(6 5@ <?@H E96D6 DA64:6D 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 7=J:?8 ?@CE9\D@FE9]”k^Am
kAm}@ 8@=56? 628=6 @C 32=5 628=6 ?6DED 92G6 366? 7@F?5 :?D:56 E96 AC@;64E 3@F?52CJ[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 4@F?4:=’D DE277] u:55@C2 D2:5 8@=56? 628=6D 2?5 32=5 628=6D 82E96C @? 72C> 7:6=5D :? E96 H:?E6C]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 2C62 :D <:?5 @7 2 9@E DA@E 7@C H:?E6C:?8 C2AE@C FD6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am