Puerto Rico Wind Farm Raises Questions about FWS Oversight
June 2007
American Bird Conservancy, Bird Calls Newsletter
FWS recently granted an incidental take permit to allow destruction of endangered Puerto Rican Nightjar habitat at a proposed wind farm site at Guayanilla in southwest Puerto Rico. Fewer than 1,700 Puerto Rican Nightjar exist; the species has been listed under the U. S. Endangered Species Act since 1973.
Two things are troublesome about the project and the take permit: The Department of Energy lists the site as poor to marginal in terms of wind resources, meaning that it is unlikely that an economically successful wind project can be constructed on this site; and secondly, the incidental take permit does very little to mitigate for the destruction of approximately half of the 46 know breeding territories of nightjars in the area.
The proponent of the project, WindMar, has agreed to restore part of a quarry within the area, but this will contribute little habitat for the nightjars. ABC and other conservation groups are objecting to this plan and the Governor of Puerto Rico has not yet approved the permit needed for construction to begin.
www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/birdcalls_pdf/bc07june.pdf
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