CHEYENNE — The federal government and PacifiCorp announced an agreement in which the electric utility will accept responsibility for two misdemeanor counts of violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The violations stem from migratory bird mortalities, including eagles, near the electric utility’s Seven Mile Hill and Glenrock/Rolling Hills wind facilities in Wyoming since 2009.
“PacifiCorp is concerned about the impacts to wildlife from our renewable energy facilities and we have been diligently working with federal and state agencies to protect migratory birds,” said Mark Tallman, vice president, renewable resources. “We are committed to enhancing protections to wildlife that minimize and mitigate impacts.”
PacifiCorp has been cooperating with federal authorities to reduce migratory bird mortality, particularly eagles, at its wind facilities. Following guidelines issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2012, PacifiCorp drafted migratory bird protection plans and hired qualified wildlife observers to monitor the wind sites for eagle activity. Operators were notified to shut down turbines to reduce risks when eagles were observed in the area. Other measures the company took included removing features from the project landscape that attract prey species.
As part of the settlement, PacifiCorp will take measures at the company’s wind facilities in Wyoming to increase eagle populations.
Under the settlement, PacifiCorp will pay $400,000 in fines, $200,000 restitution to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and $1.9 million to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to help protect golden eagles near the company’s Wyoming wind facilities. PacifiCorp will work with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to implement a specific plan to protect eagles and other migratory birds.
