Wildlife and Energy Solutions for Eastern U.S. States

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences is undertaking a project to support priority conservation actions in 16 eastern U.S. states. The project—Developing Management Guidelines for Reducing Threats from Energy Development on Coastal Species of Greatest Conservation Concern—is designed to position wildlife agencies for proactive management of energy development activities to protect wildlife and habitats. With partners in the wildlife management and energy development communities, Manomet will develop specific management guidelines that reduce adverse effects to Species of Greatest Conservation Concern resulting from energy development activities in coastal and nearshore environments.

The key to this project’s success is a diverse stakeholder base that works collaboratively to develop realistic management guidelines. Therefore, we will work with wildlife management and regulatory agencies, energy developers, and other non-government organizations.

Implementation of the project will result in agencies and other organizations in the eastern U.S. engaging in a collaborative process to develop, interpret, disseminate, and utilize management information to protect priority species in the siting and maintenance of energy facilities (including wind turbines, tidal turbines, LNG terminals, transmission lines, and utility rights-of-way). Information and management tools developed will include 1) guidelines on facility siting and maintenance, 2) a communication framework serving energy development and wildlife management stakeholders, and 3) interpreted science-based information on energy activity risk to priority species. The geographic scope of the project is the 16 Atlantic Coastal states.

All states within the proposed project area have identified threats in their State Wildlife Action Plans to habitats and wildlife as a result of energy development. In addition, a majority of the state plans have identified critical information needs surrounding this issue; specifically, the need to assess risk to Species of Greatest Conservation Need from energy development activities, and the need to compile/develop best management practices (BMPs) for energy facility siting and maintenance. Finally, nearly all states have recognized the power of networking and participatory solution development, and recommend the formation of stakeholder coalitions to address wildlife management needs regarding energy development.

Measurable outcomes of the project include:

• The establishment of a communication infrastructure for the wildlife management and energy development communities in four regions of the eastern United States.
• A synthesis and integration across state boundaries of actionable management information (3 peer-reviewed reports) potentially impacting hundreds of thousands of acres of habitat (e.g. hundreds of wind energy turbines are proposed/operational, thousands of acres of utility rights-of-way could be managed to enhance wildlife values).
• The development of an action plan with partners for sustaining stakeholder communication, promoting green energy development, and addressing information gaps.

Sandy Thomas (sthomas@manomet.org), of Manomet’s Conservation Program staff, is Project Manager. The project is supported by the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Wildlife Action Opportunity Fund (http://www.wcs.org/globalconservation/northamerica/wildlifeopportunity) with funds from the Doris Duke Foundation.

Red Knots, which have suffered a catastrophic population decline in recent years, use coastal sites vulnerable to sea level rise during migration, and nest in arctic habitats that may also be impacted by climate change.

Wind turbines, such as this one in Hull, MA, are increasingly being considered for development. Manomet uses practical science to guide society's decisions around energy development.