1. Assessing the potential impacts renewable energy on birds and bats in Rhode Island Rhode Island Renewable Energy Siting Partnership (RESP) Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times Peter Paton, Sarah Butler, and Corrie Heinz Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881 6 October 2011

2. Wind Resources in the United States

4. Texas(10,085 MW)

5. Iowa (3,675 MW)

6. California (3,177 MW)

7. Minnesota (2,192 MW)

9. Public Perception of Wind Farms and Birds Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, CA: 5000 wind turbines On going legal battle: Replace older 100 kw, worst 500 turbines with larger 1-3 MW turbines

11. Common eider (Somateriamollissima) Desholm and Kahlert 2005

12. Public Perception of Wind Farms and Birds Erickson et al. 2005. USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. PWS-GTR-191

13. What are potential impacts of renewable energy development on birds and bats in Rhode Island? 2) Where are critical areas in Rhode Island for birds and bats?

15. Density surface model for Seaducks in Winter Daily estimate of 12, 479 (95% CI – 10,994-14,164)

16. 1) What are potential impacts of renewable energy development on birds and bats? Comprehensive literature review -What are impacts of land-based wind turbines in US and elsewhere? -Collision risk -Are certain species more vulnerable for both birds and bats? -Factors affecting collision risk for birds and bats -Topography -Habitat type -Location with migratory route -Coastal vs interior sites -Facility size, turbine height, blade size and speed, turbine lighting

17. Preliminary Literature Review Bird & Bat mortality rates at land-based wind facilities

18. Habitat displacement -Effects of habitat alteration on birds and bats -Changes in predator densities and species composition Seasonal impacts of wind turbines on birds and bats Breeding Migration Winter

19. Reviewing state guidelines

20. Which species in Rhode Island are most vulnerable? Federally listed as Threatened or Endangered: Roseate Tern - Endangered Piping Plover - threatened Puma - endangered Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART Glen Tepke

21. Work with USFWS and TNC to map nesting beaches in RI Enser 1992

22. ROST Nesting Colonies Bird Is, MA Ram Is, MA Penikese Is, MA Faulkner Is, CT Great Gull Is, NY 30 km – ROST foraging distance

23. Other vulnerable species in Rhode Island: Rare animals list DEM 2006 Waterbirds: Pied-billed Grebe State endangered – Coastal Ponds American Bittern State endangered – coastal saltmarshes Least Bittern State threatened - Coastal marshes Great Egret Concern - Narragansett Bay islands Little Blue Heron Concern - Narragansett Bay islands Snowy Egret Concern -Narragansett Bay Islands Cattle Egret Concern - Narragansett Bay Islands Blk-crd. Night-Heron Concern -Narragansett Bay Islands Yw-crd. Night-Heron Concern -Narragansett Bay Islands Glossy Ibis Concern -Narragansett Bay Islands Green-winged Teal Concern -coastal ponds Blue-winged Teal Concern -coastal ponds Gadwall Concern Hooded Merganser Concern -cavities, freshwater ponds

25. Raptors Bald Eagle -nesting pair on Scituate Reservoir Osprey -ASRI database Northern Harrier -nest on Block Island, winter on coast Sharp-shinned Hawk rare nesting, common in migration Cooper’s Hawk forests, becoming more common Northern Goshawk forests Peregrine Falcon urban, bridges Ken B Joe Buban/DEM

26. Rhode Island Listed Land birds: Species Status Habitat Common Nighthawk Concern Early Successional Pileated Woodpecker Concern Older forests Acadian Flycatcher Concern Woodlands near swamps Horned Lark Concern Grasslands Cliff Swallow Historical Open areas Winter Wren Concern Forests Marsh Wren Concern marshes Golden-winged Warbler Historical Early Successional Northern Parula Threatened Forests Bk-thd Blue Warbler Threatened Forests Cerulean Warbler Endangered Forests Blackburnian Warbler Threatened Forests Prothonotary Warbler Concern Forests Worm-eating Warbler Concern Forests Yellow-breasted Chat Endangered Early successional shrub Vesper Sparrow Historical Grasslands Henslow’s Sparrow Historical Grasslands Grasshopper Sparrow Historical Grasslands White-throated Sparrow Concern Forest Seaside Sparrow Concern Salt marsh Dark-eyed Junco Concern Forest

27. Enser 1992

29. Bird Banding Stations in RI Block Island (Lapham/Gaffett Kingston (URI/ASRI) Ninigret (USFWS)

30. 85% of all mortalities at wind turbines are nocturnal passerines Erickson et al. 2001

32. http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count Frank Chapman

33. Distribution and abundance of birds during Winter: CBC example

34. Great Backyard Bird Count (next one Feb 17-20 2012) http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

35. Avian Knowledge Network (www.avianknowledge.net)

36. WSR-88D Doppler radar (NEXRAD) http://www.woodcreeper.com/

39. Bats (none currently state listed: From Mendelsohn et al. 2009. Wind power feasibility study for Jamestown. http://www.bu.edu/cecb/wind/video/

40. From Raithel (RI DEM 2008)

41. Summary of outcomes for RESP -Comprehensive literature review for birds and bats: Collision Risk Habitat assessment Pre- and post-construction monitoring guidelines -Maps (for RI towns) showing distribution of: Federally-listed species State list species Hot spots during breeding, migration, winter Habitats of concern Migration corridors

44. The Great Backyard Bird Count – www.birdsource.org/gbbc)

51. Currently no offshore wind turbines in US Rhode Island Estimated wind speed at 90 m