Page 18 - North American Clean Energy January February 2015
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wind power
Biologists completing American
burying beetle (ABB) surveys
Developing Wind Energy in Compliance with
the Endangered Species Act
Guidelines for the American burying beetle
By Ben Bainbridge
Recently updated guidelines have dramatically changed conservation methods for wind power project proponents. hese
guidelines speciically address the American burying beetles (ABB; Nicrophorus americanus), which were listed as federally
endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1992 (see Figure 1).
As a result, wind power projects must now comply with Section 7 or Section 10 of the 1. Avoid
Endangered Species Act by conducting Biological Assessments or Habitat Conservation With proper siting and environmental evaluations, a proposed wind power project should
Plans to receive Incidental Take Permits from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). irst identify potentially suitable habitat on the site of interest, so as to predict where ABB
he species habitat requirements and recognized conservation eforts to reduce potential might occur. he USFWS Oklahoma Ecological Services Field Oice deines areas of ABB
impacts to ABB, such as habitat compensation and capture and relocation, vary from state non-suitable habitat as: soils containing high sand, clay, and rock content; developed lands;
to state.
and agricultural areas.
Currently, there are two large ABB populations in the central United States: eastern In Oklahoma, projects on these types of habitats can proceed without impacts to ABB.
Oklahoma and central Nebraska (see Figure 2). here are also several smaller populations However, this difers in Nebraska, as a large population of ABB occurs in the Nebraska
in Arkansas, South Dakota, Kansas, and Rhode Island. he species is a habitat generalist Sandhills Ecoregion, where sandy soils provide for a suitable habitat.
when it comes to feeding, but will typically avoid areas with heavy human disturbance. A wind project can also elect to assume that ABB occur on a site of interest or conduct
Nevertheless, wind projects may impact ABB through a direct loss of habitat, habitat presence/absence surveys. Presence/absence surveys must be completed by a permitted
fragmentation reducing suitable food sources, and habitat fragmentation leading to the biologist to determine if ABB are using the potential project site and, if so, at what density
range expansion of mammalian competitors.
the species occur. Speciic survey protocols vary by state, so careful attention to trap set-up
Compliance with the Endangered Species Act for wind power projects that are planned and placement is important.
or considered within the range of the ABB is typically attained through three steps:
If ABB are conirmed on a wind project site, minimization and mitigation measures
may be required. If presence/absence surveys do not capture ABB on the proposed site,
1. Avoid;
the project can typically continue without further ABB concerns or impacts. Results of
2. Minimize; and/or presence/absence surveys are valid for one year.
3. Mitigate.
2. Minimize
If ABB are conirmed on a potential wind project site, or if the project elects to assume ABB
are present, the next steps are to minimize the possible impacts to the species. Steps to
18 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
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