Wildlife and Energy Solutions Initiative

Today, the eastern coast of the United States, like other regions of the nation, struggles with the challenge of energy sustainability in the face of rising fuel costs, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and the need to prevent serious degradation of our nation’s natural capital—its, wildlife, and ecosystems. The Northeast, in particular, confronts not just conventional energy development, but also the promise and peril of alternative energies, especially wind. The debate over energy choices and management, unfortunately, is informed more by belief and passion than science, and therefore often ends in social, political, and legal conflict rather than science-based sustainable solutions.

Manomet proposes to change that paradigm.

Our Wildlife and Energy Solutions Initiative (Initiative) uses practical science to guide society’s decisions around energy development. Our proactive approach aids American communities in making energy choices that are science-based, partnership-driven, and that conserve coastal wildlife and habitats while generating energy that can sustain society’s balanced power needs under the scenario of a changing climate in the 21st Century.

What is our goal? We seek energy development solutions that balance the triple bottom line of sustainability: the Environment, Economic Return, and Social Values. The Initiative proactively uses science-based information, tools, and strategies for mitigating potential adverse effects to wildlife from energy development.

How does Manomet produce solutions for “green” energy development? Two words describe our approach: Science and Stakeholders.

Scientifically, we provide information resources, tools, and customized strategies for the siting and management of energy activities, including:

• Information on the needs and sensitive locations of wildlife.

• The bottom line of our current understanding of the documented risks and benefits of energy development activities on wildlife.

• Up-to-date management recommendations for mitigating potential impacts of energy on ecosystems and wildlife.

• Support to stakeholder groups to establish and facilitate information exchange between wildlife managers, energy project regulators, energy development planners, the energy industry and the conservation community.

• Identification of energy/wildlife “hotspots” where conflicts may potentially arise, and where mitigation strategies can be developed and employed proactively.

• Promotion of demonstration and pilot projects to provide models for proactive mitigation throughout the region.

Dedicated to the people and groups that have a stake in energy choices, we conduct all activities in consultation with the wildlife and energy stakeholders. Before, during, and after the science is collected, we make sure that stakeholder relationships and trust are established to inform, support, and embrace the recommendations of science as society makes decisions about energy development and management.

• We have led national and hemispheric programs to conserve colonial waterbirds, seabirds, and shore birds.

• For four decades, we have tracked landbird migration along the Massachusetts coast, resulting in the country’s oldest, continuously-operated landbird banding program.

• We have directed conservation programs for marine mammal and fisheries from the 1970s until present.

• We conducted comprehensive monitoring of offshore seabird populations in the 1980s—this dataset remains the only effort of its kind for the Atlantic Ocean.

• We pioneered the Shorebird Recovery Project, involving research, monitoring, and site-based conservation across the hemisphere. This project is considered one of the most successful models for conservation of migrant species.

• For nearly 20 years, we have engaged the timber industry and policy makers as partners in our effort to conserve the great biodiversity of New England’s forests.

• We convened a climate-change conference with partners in 2007 to assess the role of New England’s forestlands in offsetting carbon emissions in ways that benefit economic development, social values, and environmental values in the northern forest.

Our expertise, experience, and network of partners ideally position us to assemble and interpret information on wildlife and their habitats for the larger energy development sector.

Who are our partners in this Initiative? We are building partnerships with wildlife conservation and green energy development interests throughout the eastern United States. This includes wildlife agencies, energy development planners and regulators, and other sectors of the wildlife and energy communities.

Where do we work? In the eastern United States including: New England (east of the Appalachian Mountains), the Atlantic coastal plain (Cape Cod south to Florida and east of the Piedmont Plateau), the eastern Gulf Coastal Plain, and nearshore habitats extending to depths of 200 meters.  Ultimately, our Initiative will develop products and strategies applicable to the entire United States.

For more information, contact: Dr. Katharine C. Parsons, Director Wildlife and Energy Solutions Initiative Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences P.O. Box 1770 Manomet, MA 02345 Phone: (508) 224-6521 Email: parsonsk@manomet.org

Back to top