Cedar Creek Wind Project and Mountain Breeze/Panorama Wind Energy Wind Project

Project Description

Leeward Renewable Energy Development, LLC (Applicant) is the developer and operator of the existing Cedar Creek Wind Project (CCWP) and Mountain Breeze / Panorama Wind Energy Project (MBPWEP), located in Weld County, Colorado (Project). 

The CCWP consists of 274 wind turbine generators and became operational in 2008. The MBPWEP consist of 128 wind turbine generators, with 62 wind turbine generators in the Mountain Breeze Wind Project (MB) and 66 wind turbine generators in the Panorama Wind Project (PWP); they became operational in 2022. The expected life of the Project is at least 30 years. The Applicant submitted three Incidental Eagle Take Permit (IETP) applications and Eagle Conservation Plans (ECPs) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) requesting the maximum 30-year permits.

Potential Eagle Impacts

Monitoring conducted at the Project since 2009 has documented two golden eagle mortalities. Take, including killing of eagles, is prohibited by the 2016 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act). However, the Service has been delegated the authority to issue eagle take permits, where the take is determined to be compatible with the preservation of eagles. The Service will issue permits for such take only after an applicant has committed to undertake all practical measures to avoid and minimize such take and mitigate anticipated take to the maximum extent achievable.

The Applicant has developed and provided ECPs that summarizes project design, construction and operational measures taken to avoid and minimize impacts to eagles, and results of pre- and post-construction monitoring efforts.

The Service has completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the potential issuance of the permit decision under the 2016 Eagle Act regulations. The EA assesses the potential effects of issuing three IETPs and a No Action alternative (i.e., do not issue a permit) on the human and natural environment. The Service’s Collision Risk Model (CRM) predicts that up to 5.7 bald eagles and up to 6.33 golden eagles, up to 0.88 bald eagle and up to 1.09 golden eagles, and up to 5.2 bald eagles and up to 5.81 golden eagles could be killed incidentally on an annual basis as a result of the operation of the CCWP, MB, and PWP respectively. To estimate annual eagle fatalities for this Project, we did not have sufficient pre-construction eagle-use data to update exposure for the CRM; therefore, we used the national priors for the eagle exposure parameter.

Project Review

The Service has an independent statutory responsibility under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate its own actions related to the Project, namely the possible issuance of three IETPs. A draft EA evaluating the impact of issuing (and not issuing) three IETPs for the existing Project was made available for a 30-day comment period. It has been determined that there is no new significant information, and the Service has prepared a FONSI in accordance with NEPA regulations (40 C.F.R § 1508.13). The IETPs will be issued under the 2016 Eagle Act regulations and will authorize non-purposeful take of bald eagles and golden eagles.

News and Updates

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is releasing the final Environmental Assessment (EA), Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), and findings document for the issuance of three Incidental Eagle Take Permits (IETPs) for the operation of Cedar Creek Wind Project (CCWP) and Mountain Breeze / Panorama Wind Energy Project (MBPWEP) located in Weld County, Colorado. The 30-year permits authorize the potential take of bald and golden eagles associated with the operation of the existing 274 wind turbine generators at the CCWP, 62 wind turbine generators in the Mountain Breeze Wind Project (MB), and 66 wind turbine generators at the Panorama Wind Project (PWP), and outlines required conservation and compensatory mitigation measures for minimizing and offsetting potential eagle take, pursuant to the 2016 regulations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act). Leeward Renewable Energy Development, LLC (Applicant) is the developer and operator of the existing Project.

Documents

Relevant documents, linked below, include the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).