Golden Eagle Kill Permits

[stevetimetravlr]

The Feds are issuing the first ever Golden Eagles Kill Permits to a Central Oregon Wind Farm that will allow them to kill up to 3 Eagles over the next 5 years. At the same time they are closing nearby Trout Creek to climbing to "protect" the Golden Eagles, even though climbers have never bothered the eagles. Hypocrisy at its finest or just the cost of doing business?

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/04/9952873-feds-propose-allowing-wind-farm-developer-to-kill-golden-eagles

[billcoe]

Thanks for that heads up Steve. It's most likely to protect the wind farm operators from frivolous lawsuits. Those blades do kill things. They appear to take out bats, for instance. The bats can't see (ha ha) the blades and predict the path of travel and get whacked. It's just a matter of time till an eagle flys into a blade as well. The permit says: "The permit, if ultimately issued, stipulates that there must be no net loss to breeding populations of golden eagles from the wind farm project. That means for every protected bird permitted killed, developers must contribute to conservation efforts for breeding them."

 

Win win win?

 

We get power that is generally better-easier on the environment. Sure as shit better than coal which runs 50% of the US power needs currently. (remember, no free lunch?) = WIN

 

The wind farms escape the ambulance chasers looking to pad their bank accounts, thus fueling more investment and more power = WIN

 

If an Eagle does chance to fly into a blade (not a win!), which might occur, then developers must contribute to conservation efforts for breeding them. Which is only a win till the excess birds fly over to your project and it gets shut down? = still a WIN?

[tvashtarkatena]

Just a guess, but I think the concern might be hitting an eagle and nearly the speed of sound and destroying the blade and possibly the entire wind turbine.

 

Expensive.

[stevetimetravlr]

Bill, you don't find it curious that is its synonymous with them closing a long established climbing area right next door for the same bird at exactly the same time?

[j_b]

Could the difference be about disturbing breeding grounds?

[Coldfinger]

Bill, you don't find it curious that is its synonymous with them closing a long established climbing area right next door for the same bird at exactly the same time?

 

Nope, all sorts of havoc here in Wyoming as entire landscapes and basins are turned into industrial sites. We are an energy driven economy and that's what matters most to D.C.

 

Look on the bright side, wind is a whole lot cleaner and greener than so called clean natural gas.

[ivan]

sounds like trout creek needs a wind turbine?

[Jim]

Just a guess, but I think the concern might be hitting an eagle and nearly the speed of sound and destroying the blade and possibly the entire wind turbine.

 

Expensive.

 

No. The permit allows up to 3 eagles per 5 years to be killed BY wind turbines. Eagles and other large raptors that ground hunt are susceptible to getting bonked by the blades. The tips of a 100 yard long blade are moving along pretty quick. Generally these are getting sited better. The poster child for bad siting and bird kills is Altamont Pass in CA. Interestingly, migrating bats can also get killed. If they get too close to the spinning blades the air pressure difference can cause blood vessels and organs to explode.