# Introduction

-   Background information

-   Summary of wind project development

-   History of wind power in other countries, specifically the Best
    Management Practices and mitigation measures used to offset project
    impacts

-   Current U.S. wind energy policy; include information on the
    Production Tax Credit (PTC)

-   List of associated wind power impacts (new transmission lines,
    substations, roads)

-   List of websites that contain additional information on wind power
    development and technology

> <http://www.nrel.gov/wind/>
>
> <http://www.awea.org/>
>
> http://www.nationalwind.org/

# Chapter One: Regulatory Authority (Applicable Laws and Law Enforcement Guidance)

> [Summaries of Applicable Laws]{.underline}

-   Endangered Species Act

-   Migratory Bird Treaty Act

-   Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act

-   Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act

-   Federal Cave Resources Protection Act

-   National Environmental Policy Act

> [Law Enforcement Guidance]{.underline}

-   RAC Contact Person

-   Guidance on preliminary meetings and the importance of maintaining
    good records (telephone logs, meeting notes, etc.)

-   When to get law enforcement involved

-   Law enforcement standard language examples

# Chapter Two: FWS Interim Guidelines to Avoid and Minimize Wildlife Impacts from Wind Turbines

-   Include an expanded explanation of how to apply the guidelines
    (example: FWS should participate in ranking proposed sites, proposed
    pre- and post-construction monitoring protocol should be peer
    reviewed, etc.)

-   Provide a link to the website containing the Service Interim
    Guidelines

> <http://www.fws.gov/r9dhcbfa/wind.pdf>

# Chapter Three: Correspondence 

> [Response to a Preliminary Wind Project Request for
> Information]{.underline} (Goal: Provide a checklist and reference
> materials to project proponents and to anyone else who may be the
> first contact for a project, i.e. Refuges)

-   Letter reviewed and approved by law enforcement (example: the WO
    standard letter on wind energy currently in review)

-   Specific T&E species information, or link to a website where county
    lists and T&E information can be found

-   Local project and site specific concerns (adjacent wetlands,
    rookeries, migration routes, etc.) Include associated wind power
    impacts such as new transmission lines, substations, roads

-   List of applicable laws with summaries (provide website link)

-   Reference to Service Interim Guidelines (provide website link)

-   Recommendation for pre- and post-construction monitoring and site
    ranking assessment

-   Request to review survey protocol design (peer-reviewed survey
    protocol)

-   Request that completed survey results be provided to the Service

> [Follow-up Correspondence]{.underline} (Examples of standard language
> reviewed and approved by law enforcement)

-   Response after monitoring protocols are submitted for review

-   Response after monitoring results are submitted for review

-   How to handle "bad sites"/ sample language LE approved

-   What to say about the least damaging site / sample language LE
    approved

-   How to handle situations where information is not provided to the
    Service

# Chapter Four: Pre-Construction Surveys and Post-Construction Monitoring

-   Standards for pre- and post-construction surveys and monitoring

-   Good examples of peer-reviewed surveys

-   Standards for length of recommended monitoring

-   Use of reference sites in monitoring

-   Guidance on sharing information

-   Data sources and references (Appendix 1)

# Chapter Five: Avoidance, Minimization and Mitigation Measures

-   Best Management Practices (siting, design, lighting, burial of
    transmission lines) that can be used to avoid and minimize impacts
    (updated as new information is obtained from scientific studies)

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-   Service Mitigation Policy regarding habitat mitigation, specifically
    under the FWCA

-   Conservation easements

-   Examples of legal appropriateness

-   Examples of successful application (partnerships, land swaps,
    easements, funded studies, conservation projects like cowbird
    control and invasive species work)

-   Potential partners for these actions (TNC, Audubon, land trust
    contacts, state agency programs and contacts, local programs and
    contacts)

# Chapter Six: Local Issues and Concerns

-   Identify issues specific to each office/area/region

-   Local sources of avian and wildlife information (state agencies,
    Heritage Programs, Audubon, TNC, universities, etc.)

-   Permitting issues in each state, list of local contacts (state
    wildlife, PUC, etc.)

-   Renewable Energy Portfolio for each state

# Appendix 1: Data Sources and References

-   National Renewable Energy Lab National Wind Technology Center

> <http://www.nrel.gov/wind/>

-   American Wind Energy Association

> <http://www.awea.org/>

-   National Wind Coordinating Committee

> http://www.nationalwind.org/

-   Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Wind Power Guidelines
    August 2003

> <http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/engineer/windpower/index.htm>

-   Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)

> http://irecusa.org/articles/static/1/1082457719_1018302029.html

-   Effects of Birds on an Offshore Wind Park at Horn's Rev:
    Environmental Impact Assessment

> (Wind Park in Denmark)
> http://www2.dmu.dk/1_Om_DMU/2_afdelinger/3_vibi/pdf/Baggrundsrapport_18.pdf

-   Cape Wind

> http://www.capewind.org

-   Cape Cod Times

> http://www.capecodonline.com/special/windfarm/

-   West EcoSystems Technology, Inc. (WEST)

> http://www.west-inc.com/index.php

-   Union of Concerned Scientists

> <http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/renewable_energy/page.cfm?pageID=121>

# Appendix 2: Index and Definitions

# Appendix 3: List of Acronyms

# Appendix 4: Procedures for Coordination Among Programs (LE, Realty, Migratory Birds, Refuges, Endangered Species)

# Appendix 5: Service Contact List for Wind Power Projects - WO, RO, FO and Refuge staff that work on wind power projects and issues (updated periodically)

+-------------------------------+-------------------+------------------+
| **TASK/PRODUCT**              | **POTENTIAL       | **STATUS**       |
|                               | CONTACT** PERSON  |                  |
+-------------------------------+-------------------+------------------+
| Background Information and    | Chris O'Meilia    | Existing         |
| Summary of Wind Project       |                   | information      |
| Development/ Introduction     | Region 2- Tulsa   | needs to be      |
| Chapter                       | ESFO              | consolidated and |
|                               |                   | distributed;     |
|                               | \(918\) 581-7458  | Chris has a      |
|                               |                   | PowerPoint that  |
|                               | <chris            | contains good    |
|                               | _omeilia@fws.gov> | background       |
|                               |                   | information      |
|                               | <http://ww        |                  |
|                               | w.nrel.gov/wind/> |                  |
|                               |                   |                  |
|                               | <http             |                  |
|                               | ://www.awea.org/> |                  |
|                               |                   |                  |
|                               | http://www.       |                  |
|                               | nationalwind.org/ |                  |
+-------------------------------+-------------------+------------------+
| LE Guidance/ LE Statement in  | Dom Dominici      | Existing         |
| the Handbook                  |                   | information      |
|                               | Region 6 - LE     | needs to be      |
|                               | Wyoming           | consolidated and |
|                               |                   | distributed;     |
|                               | \(307\) 261-6365  | Include Dom's    |
|                               |                   | PowerPoint       |
|                               | dominic           | presentation on  |
|                               | _dominici@fws.gov | CD               |
+-------------------------------+-------------------+------------------+
| Service Interim Guidelines    | Online at:        | Existing         |
|                               |                   | information      |
|                               | <htt              |                  |
|                               | p://www.fws.gov/r |                  |
|                               | 9dhcbfa/wind.pdf> |                  |
+-------------------------------+-------------------+------------------+
| WO Standard Letter on Wind    | Al Manville       | In review        |
| Energy/ LE approved letter    |                   |                  |
| responding to wind energy     | Region 9- DMBM    |                  |
| proponents initial requests   |                   |                  |
| for information               | \(703\) 358-1963  |                  |
|                               |                   |                  |
|                               | albert            |                  |
|                               | _manville@fws.gov |                  |
+-------------------------------+-------------------+------------------+
| Compilation of Local Issues   | Each Region/      | Existing         |
| and Information Sources       | Field Office      | information      |
+-------------------------------+-------------------+------------------+
| Appendix 1:                   | Al Manville       | Existing         |
|                               |                   | information      |
| Compile List of Existing Data | Region 9- DMBM    | needs to be      |
| Sources and References        |                   | consolidated and |
|                               | \(703\) 358-1963  | distributed (via |
|                               |                   | Intranet?); data |
|                               | <albert_          | gaps need to     |
|                               | manville@fws.gov> | identified and   |
|                               |                   | filled via       |
|                               | Pat Clements      | peer-reviewed,   |
|                               |                   | statistically    |
|                               | Region 2- Corpus  | sound studies    |
|                               | Christi ESFO      | and publications |
|                               |                   |                  |
|                               | \(361\) 994-9005  |                  |
|                               |                   |                  |
|                               | pat               |                  |
|                               | _clements@fws.gov |                  |
+-------------------------------+-------------------+------------------+
| Appendix 2 and 3:             | Pat Clements      | Existing         |
|                               |                   | information      |
| Index and Definitions         | Region 2- Corpus  | needs to be      |
|                               | Christi ESFO      | consolidated     |
| List of Acronyms              |                   |                  |
|                               | \(361\) 994-9005  |                  |
|                               |                   |                  |
|                               | pat               |                  |
|                               | _clements@fws.gov |                  |
+-------------------------------+-------------------+------------------+
| Questions about this Handbook | Catherine Yeargan | Results of       |
| Outline Summary               |                   | handbook team    |
|                               | Region 2- Clear   | brainstorming at |
|                               | Lake ESFO         | the Wind Power   |
|                               |                   | Meeting (Feb     |
|                               | \(281\) 286-8282  | 2-3, 2005)       |
|                               |                   |                  |
|                               | catherin          |                  |
|                               | e_yeargan@fws.gov |                  |
+-------------------------------+-------------------+------------------+

  ----------------- -------------- ------------------------ --------------
  HANDBOOK TEAM:    David T.       Region 1- Wenatchee ESFO \(509\)
                    Morgan                                  665-3508

                    Chris O'Meilia Region 2- Tulsa ESFO     \(918\)
                                                            581-7458

                    Pat Clements   Region 2- Corpus Christi \(361\)
                                   ESFO                     994-9005

                    Catherine      Region 2- Clear Lake     \(281\)
                    Yeargan        ESFO                     286-8282
  ----------------- -------------- ------------------------ --------------