Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines: Training Materials

The following five-part training series produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) covers the voluntary Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines, and other topics related to wind energy. The Service encourages using these videos and accompanying materials for training on an individual basis, or in group settings.

Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines: The Tiered Approach (May 2013)

Service biologist Christy Johnson-Hughes and guests walk through the tiered approach of the Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines to avoid and minimize impacts to wildlife and their habitats. Johnson-Hughes is joined by Taber Allison of the American Wind Wildlife Institute, Mary Connor of Edison Mission Energy, Jim Lindsay of NextEra Energy Resources, Stu Webster of Iberdrola Renewables, and fellow Service biologist Jeff Everett.

View Broadcast #1 (Part 1)

View Broadcast #1 (Part 2)

• Basic Learning Points: Tiered Approach
• Tier 3 Case Study: Collaboration is Key in Mitigation Planning
• Questions and Answers
• Transcript

Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines: Tier 3 and the Eagle Conservation Plan Guidance (July 2013)

Service biologist Christy Johnson-Hughes is joined by guests covering a range of topics pertinent to wind energy development. Dr. Dale Strickland, of WEST, Inc., provided the results of a retrospective case study comparing the analysis performed at a wind energy facility to what the risk assessment would be if the Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines were applied today. Dr. Cris Hein, of Bat Conservation International, discussed the latest in Tier 3 pre-construction bat surveys. Finally, Alicia King and Brian Millsap of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service guided us through the new Eagle Conservation Plan Guidance, a tool available to help developers construct plans to address aspects necessary for an eagle take permit application under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

View Broadcast #2

• Basic Learning Points: Tier 3
• Basic Learning Points: Eagle Conservation Plan Guidance
• Questions and Answers
• Transcript

Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines: Tier 4 Post-Construction Studies and Reporting (October 2013)

Service biologist Christy Johnson-Hughes is joined by a special presenter on fatality estimation from the USGS and leads a roundtable discussion on post-construction studies and reporting. Manuela Huso of USGS, begins the broadcast with an enlightening presentation on fatality estimators. In the second hour, Johnson-Hughes is joined by Jerry Roppe with Iberdrola Renewables, returning guest Jeff Everett with the Service, and Jill Birchell of the Office of Law Enforcement in the Service's Pacific Southwest Region. The roundtable discussion covers many common questions often raised regarding Tier 4 studies and reporting.

View Broadcast #3

• Basic Learning Points: Tier 4
• Transcript 

Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines: Distributed Wind Energy, State Coordination, and Species of Habitat Fragmentation Concern (January 2014)

Service biologist Christy Johnson-Hughes is joined by guests covering a variety of wind energy topics. Charles Newcomb of Endurance Wind Power provides the perspective of the Distributed Wind Energy Association and how the wind energy guidelines apply to smaller scale projects. Jennifer Norris of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources presents her experience working on wind energy issues in Ohio, and the tools developed in that state. Finally, Kathy Boydston of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies discusses the ongoing process of identifying "species of habitat fragmentation concern."

View Broadcast #4

• Basic Learning Points
• Questions and Answers
• Transcript

Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines: Research Update (April 2014)

Service biologist Christy Johnson-Hughes is joined by researchers who provide summaries of their latest research. Cris Hein of Bat Conservation International discusses bat deterrent technologies. Wally Erickson of WEST, Inc., discusses an analysis of songbird fatalities due to collisions. Chad LeBeau presents research on how prairie grouse are affected by wind energy facilities.

View Broadcast #5

• Basic Learning Points
• Transcript

Evidence of Absence Training

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has published Evidence of Absence (EoA), a user-friendly software application for estimating bird and bat fatalities at wind farms and for designing search protocols. The software is particularly useful in addressing whether the number of fatalities is below a given threshold and what search parameters are needed to give assurance that thresholds were not exceeded. The software also includes tools for estimating carcass persistence distributions and searcher efficiency parameters (p and k) from field trials, projecting future mortality based on past monitoring data, and exploring the potential consequences of various choices in the design of long-term incidental take permits for protected species. The software was designed specifically for cases where tolerance for mortality is low and carcass counts are small or even zero, but the tools also may be used for mortality estimates when carcass counts are large.

Evidence of Absence Training Module 1 - Introduction and Statistical Concepts

Evidence of Absence Training Module 2 - Data Input: Detection Parameters

Evidence of Absence Training Module 3 - Multiple Search Classes, Multiple Sites

Evidence of Absence Training Module 4 - Long-term Monitoring and Decision Tools