Management of Energy Development Activities and Coastal Avian Resources in Massachusetts

The goal of this project is to provide Massachusetts wildlife and energy departments, and other partners with information and strategies for mitigating potential adverse effects to coastal waterbirds from energy development along the Massachusetts coast. Information resources include: 1) synthesis of available spatial data on species occurrence and activity, and 2) synthesis of available spatial data on existing and potential energy development activities. Tools to assist coastal communities in mitigating potential adverse effects of energy development on avian resources include:

• Identification of energy/wildlife “hotspots” throughout the region where conflicts occur or may potentially arise, and where mitigation strategies may be developed and employed proactively; and
• Critiqued management information on guidelines and best practices for mitigating potential impacts.

An overarching endeavor of this project is to develop information and management products in consultation with the proposed beneficiaries of the project—wildlife and energy stakeholders. Consultation is an essential step in initiating the project and will continue through accomplishment of all objectives.

The U.S. is facing a highly dynamic, challenging situation in meeting the country’s domestic energy requirements. Energy consumption is accelerating. Traditional domestic energy reserves are declining. New technologies are being developed and used to produce energy from non-traditional sources. Managing energy portfolios is complicated because states and Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) are incentivized to create diverse holdings in order to stabilize regional supply. Thus, regulatory agencies are confronted with evaluating the impacts of facilities and activities as different as LNG terminals, off-shore wind energy production, and transportation of hazardous fuelstocks.

Furthermore, permitting agencies are challenged to develop standards and review processes that promote clean energy production while protecting ecosystems. Improvements in energy generation, transmission, and use are urgently needed, yet natural resource protection in highly developed coastal regions of the U.S. has also reached a new imperative. Loss of biodiversity and resiliency in wildlife communities under stress from climate change, degraded habitat, and human disturbance imperils ecosystem health. Recent surveys of Massachusetts’ coastal waterbird populations document losses of 30-60% over the past decade. The environmental community, including wildlife agencies and NGOs, bears an important responsibility in responding to this challenge with actions and programs that facilitate “green” energy production.

The project is compiling, and will make readily useable, disparate information on key avian species occurrences in coastal Massachusetts and near-shore shelf regions. The state has benefited from the completion of large-scale conservation planning (includes the identification of data resources) for several bird groups including waterfowl, waterbirds, shorebirds, and landbirds. In addition, the proposed project will produce energy development mitigation tools for wildlife agencies and other stakeholders. Compiled and critiqued information on siting guidelines, best management practices (BMPs), and other adaptive strategies will be provided to stakeholders. A stakeholder council will be developed to provide a venue for dialogue between entities promoting “green” energy production. Spatial analyses will produce an energy/wildlife hotspot map to guide proactive management and mitigation.

Stephanie Schmidt (sschmidt@manomet.org) is Project Manager for Manomet’s Management of Energy Development Activities and Coastal Avian Resources in Massachusetts project which is funded by the Island Foundation and Manomet members.