Partnering to Protect Eagles By Alissa Byrd
The Eagle Protection and Offset Program, or EPOP, is a remarkable program designed to provide long-term protection to both bald and golden eagles, while streamlining the process for wind project owners needing to fulfill permit requirements. By nature, eagles, and most raptors, are drawn to areas of wind updraft – these conditions allow the birds to hunt while using the minimal amount of energy required for flight. Windy areas are also prime locations for wind farms. And when wind farms are built in areas where they may pose a collision and mortality risk to eagles, developers are strongly encouraged to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to obtain an Eagle Incidental Take Permit.
credits needed. “It’s the same principle as a carbon offset program,” said Dr. Marco Restani, NorthWestern Energy wildlife biologist. “If an industry is substantially polluting somewhere, they can buy carbon offset credits somewhere else, except in this case, it’s with eagles.” NorthWestern Energy, along with USFWS, and Burns and McDonnell, an architectural and engineering company, recently developed
Bald and golden eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle
the Eagle Protection and Offset Program, or EPOP, which allows wind
Protection Act, which prohibits the “take” of bald and golden eagles,
developers and others to obtain EITPs by purchasing EPOP credits. The
unless permitted by USFWS. “Take” can include pursuing, shooting,
credits fund power pole retrofit projects to upgrade power lines to meet
poisoning, wounding, killing, capturing, trapping, collecting, destroying,
Avian Power Line Interaction Committee, or APLIC, recommendations.
molesting or disturbing protected eagles, their eggs or their nests.
Older power lines can pose an electrocution risk to eagles. The
That means if a wind farm causes eagle mortalities, the developer
birds are large enough that both of their wing tips could touch two differ-
should obtain an Eagle Incidental Take Permit. EITPs serve as a way
ent conductors, causing them to be electrocuted. Newer power lines are
to offset eagle take through compensatory mitigation measures while
built to Avian Power Line Interaction Committee guidelines, which were
staying compliant with the federal protection of eagles. The USFWS eval-
established in 2006 to prevent bird electrocutions.
uates the complexity of the project to determine the number of offset 18 | BRIGHT MAGAZINE Vol. 1
“From our perspective as a utility company, it’s a conservation win