Maine Audubon Releases Wind-power Siting Guidelines

Print or download the wind-power guidelines here. (PDF)

FALMOUTH, MAINE, January 10, 2008 - With decisions expected next Monday on whether two wind-power projects will move forward in Maine, Maine Audubon has released siting guidelines meant to speed the approval of wind-power projects in Maine.

Developed with input from more than 30 wind power “stakeholders”—energy developers, wind-power consultants, environmental advocates, and representatives from federal and state agencies—the guidelines help energy developers identify sites where adverse wildlife impacts would likely cause denial of a project.

No siting guidelines are in place for the state and developers to refer to, at a time when wind-power projects are in the permitting process in Maine, with more on the way.

Maine Audubon has provided the guidelines to the Governor’s Task Force on Wind Power Development in Maine.

“We hope state regulators adopt these guidelines as policy and that wind-power developers use them to choose project sites that don’t threaten high-value wildlife habitat,” said Jody Jones, Maine Audubon wildlife ecologist. “The guidelines give wind-power developers a clear idea from the start what sites would be inappropriate for development based on wildlife concerns.”

Governor John Baldacci formed the Governor’s Task Force on Wind Power Development in Maine last year to help establish state regulations for wind-power development. Maine Audubon hopes the task force recommends that Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection, which regulate the state’s wind-power industry, build the guidelines into their policies.

Jones said Maine Audubon began more than two years ago to develop the guidelines with input from parties on all sides of the wind-power issue. “People who had their disagreements sat down and talked to each other for the first time,” she said.

Participants said the Governor’s Task Force should consider the guidelines.

“The guidelines outline the issues well,” said Steve Timpano, environmental coordinator with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. “It’s a useful document and provides good information for the Governor’s Task Force.”

“Our hope is that the state will come up with clear guidelines that say what sites are good and what’s not. These guidelines are things that should be incorporated,” said David Publicover, senior staff scientist with the Appalachian Mountain Club. “They’re a good starting point for identifying issues, information needs and show-stoppers. But more work has to be done.”

Rob Gardiner with Independence Wind, of which former Maine governor Angus King is a partner, said the time he spent with the stakeholder group was productive. “The advantage of getting all the interested parties together is that you can learn and benefit from new perspectives,” he said.

“Maine Audubon should be applauded for bringing key parties to the same table to address the wildlife issues surrounding wind power,” said stakeholder participant Chip Ahrens, an attorney who represents wind power developers. “Group discussions like this that cover the issues from all sides will be the best way to move forward in identifying and implementing the changes needed to make the complex regulatory and permitting process more efficient.”

The guidelines are centered around five wildlife themes—unique natural communities, large blocks of undeveloped forest habitat, significant wildlife habitat, species that are endangered, threatened or of special concern, and bird and bat migration. For each theme the guidelines identify potential conflicts with wind-power development and criteria that would likely result in a project’s denial.

As identified by the guidelines, areas inappropriate for wind-power development include:

Natural communities the Maine Natural Areas Program has labeled as exemplary or imperiled, either state-wide or globally;

Large blocks of unbroken forest lying within focus areas of the state conservation program Beginning with Habitat;

High and moderate value significant wildlife habitat, as identified by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIFW); and

Essential Habitats, as identified by DIFW, for species that are endangered, threatened or of special concern.

Print or download the wind-power guidelines here. (PDF)

MAINE AUDUBON works to conserve Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people of all ages in education, conservation and action. For more than 160 years, Maine Audubon has been connecting people with nature and leading science-based conservation in major projects across the state. An independent affiliate of Audubon’s national organization, Maine Audubon has seven local chapters, 11 nature centers and sanctuaries, and 11,000 members and supporters. 11,000

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