探花精选 Statement on Manzana Wind Power Plant Permit
探花精选 pledges to monitor the development of the California site to minimize, mitigate, and avoid harm to condors.
CARLSBAD, Calif. (June 16, 2021) 鈥 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) today for a wind energy project in California that will allow for the incidental take of two California Condors over the next 30 years. The 探花精选 had submitted comments during the permit process for the Manzana Wind Power Plant, operated by Avangrid Renewables.
Avangrid must commit to taking measures to prevent the incidental death, harassment, or harm of the endangered birds; and provide funding to help raise new birds to replace any who may be killed by the turbines.
鈥淲hile we will continue to monitor this project closely, we are cautiously optimistic that this project will achieve the goal of limiting harm to this magnificent species,鈥 said Garry George, director the Clean Energy Initiative at the 探花精选. 鈥淯SFWS has done a commendable job of helping restore the California Condor population over several decades. With their management and input from conservation groups like 探花精选, we can help protect the birds that we love from injury, and create a cleaner future for both people and wildlife.鈥
A 2019 探花精选 report found that two-thirds of North American bird species will be vulnerable to extinction if global temperature rise is allowed to continue at current rates. Renewable energy like wind power is necessary to help reduce emissions and address climate change, provided that projects are responsibly sited and operated to minimize, mitigate, and avoid harm to wildlife.
Avangrid has already installed a system at the Manzana site that detects when a condor has entered a designated danger-zone that triggers an alarm to shut down the turbines. This permit will make precautions like that mandatory rather than voluntary.
鈥溙交ň♀檚 work with USFWS to protect California Condors goes back to 1964, when we documented the decline of the species and pressured the agency to list the birds as endangered,鈥 said George. 鈥淲e are encouraged by initial steps taken by this project to protect the condors, and will be watching the implementation of this permit closely, as well as any further applications for take permits for condors given the potential cumulative impact on the birds across wind energy projects in the area.鈥
To date, no California Condors have been killed by wind turbines. The permit will ensure that innovations like warning systems are funded by the wind industry to help prevent harm to wildlife now and in the future.
Media contact: Robyn Shepherd, robyn.shepherd@audubon.org
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The 探花精选 protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. 探花精选 works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give 探花精选 an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, 探花精选 believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.