Permit Issued: Efforts to Protect Condors Take Flight with New Conservation Plan
Multiple Wind Energy Projects in California’s Largest Wind Resource Area Collaborate to Minimize Potential Impacts and Protect California Condors
Tehachapi, CA, June 16, 2023 – California’s new Wind Energy Condor Action Team (WECAT), a consortium of 24 wind energy companies, will begin implementation of a Condor Conservation Plan (Plan) consistent with a permit issued to them from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). WECAT LLC’s Condor Conservation Plan is built on a partnership between the wind companies, the Service, and The Peregrine Fund.
“We are excited to reach this important milestone. We have been working collaboratively with the Service and The Peregrine Fund over the past three years and are eager to have a comprehensive condor conservation plan to support both condor conservation and the continued production of renewable energy in the region.”
Background
Currently, there are approximately 50 operating projects located in the 200 square mile Tehachapi Wind Resource Area, made up of 3,465 turbines – capable of generating 3.3 gigawatts (GW) energy. To date, no wind project-related fatalities of California condors have occurred. The wind resource area is the largest wind energy production area in California, producing more than 50% of the state’s wind energy. WECAT LLC members currently operate approximately 1,282 turbines across the wind resource area with 2.3 GW of generating capacity, representing approximately 72% of the current wind energy generating capacity within the wind resource area. The wind resource area has been divided into three regional planning areas: the Tehachapi Mountains, the Antelope Valley, and the Southern Sierra Nevada.
Though no wind project-related fatalities of California condors have occurred to date, with a growing California condor population and periodic summer and fall use of the Tehachapi Mountains near the wind projects, the Service, WECAT LLC members, other wind project operators, and environmental groups are concerned that condors could potentially be injured or killed by wind projects.
At present, there are 90 California condors in the Southern California flock near the wind resource area. California condor regional use of the Tehachapi Mountains within the plan area is approximately 6% of daylight hours in the summer and 27% of daylight hours in the fall, and less than 1% of daylight hours in the Antelope Valley or Sierra Foothills during any season. Even when present, two-thirds of the time condors are above or below turbine heights. It is likely that there have been no fatalities to date because of a system of regional detection and turbine curtailment. However, there is still potential for impacts from condors colliding with wind turbines, meteorological tower guy wires, electric collector lines, or other facilities. In an abundance of caution and to not underestimate potential impacts, WECAT LLC applied for an incidental take permit allowing for take of up to 11 condors and 11 associated eggs or chicks over a 30-year permit term.
Conservation Program
WECAT LLC’s conservation program is built on two main biological goals: 1. Minimize the likelihood of California condor mortality caused by covered activities in the permit area, and 2. Enhance the conservation and recovery of California condors by expanding the capacity of an existing captive breeding program to rear and release condors into the wild population.
To achieve the Condor Conservation Plan’s first goal, WECAT LLC will:
Implement a condor risk minimization program that reduces condor attractants within the permit area (e.g., carcass removal);
Implement a system to detect condors approaching turbines and curtail turbines with the capacity to curtail when condors are nearby; and
Implement condor take response actions to evaluate each take and determine if there are facility, system, or process improvements that should be made to reduce future risk.
“We are committed to ensuring that our wind project operations minimize and mitigate potential impacts on California condors. This plan builds on lessons learned and best practices in the region and will continue to ensure that our operations occur in a way that minimizes impacts.”
WECAT LLC members have agreed to general operational measures including: training staff, managing trash, reducing powerline risk, and limiting vehicles speeds to reduce collision risk. Trainings will include information on recognizing and investigating scavenging events and reporting the presence of any carcasses observed on the site or along project access roads to minimize condors from foraging near turbines.
To reduce the risk of California condor collisions with turbines, each covered project will implement a condor detection system that meets minimum standards for detection and notification of condors approaching turbines. The purpose of the condor detection systems is to detect approaching condors and send an alert to operators with enough time to curtail specific turbines posing a collision risk.
“We have been implementing avoidance and minimization measures for years. This conservation plan codifies our practices, creates a common standard for most operators, and provides mitigation regardless of a take. We are looking forward to implementation.”
To achieve the Condor Conservation Plan’s second goal, WECAT LLC will provide over $6 million in funding for The Peregrine Fund to expand their current efforts at the World Center for Birds of Prey and provide for the breeding, rearing, and release of 35 condors over the next 15 years. These efforts include building new pens to support breeding and are accelerated to occur within 15 years, rather than over 30 years, to ensure long-term benefits to the condor population.
“We are thrilled to have additional funding committed to California condor recovery. This assured funding will allow us to expand our program, thereby producing and releasing more condors than ever before.”
Adaptive Management and Changed Circumstances
WECAT LLC’s Plan contains provisions for adaptive management as well as changed circumstances. Adaptive management is a method used to address uncertainty in natural resources management. Broadly defined, it means examining strategies for meeting biological goals and objectives, and then if necessary, adjusting future conservation management actions according to what is learned. WECAT LLC will apply these concepts when evaluating the potential future take of condors, detecting condor use, detecting condor take, and achieving mitigation objectives.
Changed circumstances are those circumstances affecting a species or geographic area covered by a conservation plan that can reasonably be anticipated by a conservation plan’s applicants and the Service, and for which the applicants and the Service can plan in advance.
Avian influenza is a substantial and emerging risk to California condor populations. Though WECAT LLC has no control over the spread of avian influenza and cases have yet to be identified in the Southern California flock, WECAT LLC’s Plan includes changed circumstances funding that could be used by the Service to help address this substantial pending risk. Further, WECAT LLC’s Plan will help ensure that condors persist by supporting The Peregrine Fund with funds for condor breeding, rearing and release.
Reporting and Funding
Annual reporting is required under the permit. Currently the Service receives very limited information with respect to wind project operations and potential condor collision events, and this Condor Conservation Plan will improve the Service’s understanding of current and future risks from covered projects.
The total cost of the Plan is $11.4 million in current dollars, inclusive of administration, mitigation, adaptive management, and changed circumstances funding. Funding will be assured through a contract with The Peregrine Fund to breed, rear and release a minimum of 35 condors, by providing initial deposits of $3.5 million with additional payments due every five years, and by each co-permittee providing an annual fee commitment to ensure minimization expenses related to Plan implementation are available.
Participants
WECAT LLC’s members, named as co-permittees in the permit, are: Pinyon Pines Wind I LLC, Pinyon Pines Wind II LLC, Wind Resource I, Wind Resource II – Pajuela Peak, Alta Wind I, LLC, Alta Wind II, LLC, Alta Wind III, LLC, Alta Wind IV, LLC, Alta Wind V, LLC, Alta Wind XI, LLC, Pacific Wind Lessee, LLC, Keyhole Wind, LLC, Rising Tree Wind Farm LLC, Rising Tree Wind Farm II LLC, Rising Tree Wind Farm III LLC, Mustang Hills, LLC, Alta Wind VIII, LLC, Coram California Development LP, Coram Energy, LLC, Coram Tehachapi, LLC, North Sky River Energy, LLC, Sky River Wind, LLC, Windstar Energy, LLC, and Wind Wall 2 LLC.
Conclusion
With the ongoing potential risk to condors from wind projects in this wind resource area and considering WECAT LLC’s commitments in the Condor Conservation Plan – including general operational measures, carrion management, condor detection, turbine curtailment, funding for condor breeding, rearing, and release, adaptive management and changed circumstances responses, reporting, and funding – the Service has determined that it can issue the permit.
“We are ready to begin implementing this program immediately and look forward to working with The Peregrine Fund, the Service, and wind project operators to support continued condor conservation.”
The Service has also issued a press release regarding the issuance of this permit. This information is available at https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2023-06/us-fish-and-wildlife-service-issues-incidental-take-permit-multiple-wind.