Protective Measures for Avian, Bat, and Other Wildlife Species

Planned avoidance and protective measures are an integral part of ensuring development projects are done right. The Lava Ridge Wind Project has been designed to minimize impacts on environmental resources, including air quality, avian and bat species, cultural resources, livestock grazing, recreation, vegetation, wildlife, and land uses.

The list below details some of those measures for avian, bat, and other wildlife species. A comprehensive list of protective measures can be found in Appendix 4 of the Final EIS.

For Protection of Avian and Bat Species:

• No turbines will be located within two miles of an occupied golden eagle nest.
• To reduce impacts on avian species, all electrical lines will be designed in compliance with Avian Power Line Interaction Committee standards. These standards incorporate the latest design features focused on reducing impacts to birds from electrical infrastructure.
• MVE would avoid construction in proximity to active nests of raptors and migratory birds.
• When the wind is too low to generate electricity, turbine blades will be oriented to reduce collisions with avian and bat species.

For Protection of Wildlife:

• A 3.1-mile setback is being provided for sage-grouse leks in compliance with the Bureau of Land Management’s Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment.
• MVE will pause construction activities during the winter in greater sage-grouse wintering areas.
• Construction and decommissioning will be restricted to avoid disturbance to migrating mule deer and pronghorn.
• No construction activities or infrastructure will be allowed within the occupied St. Anthony sand dune tiger beetle habitat.
• The MVE Project team will take immediate steps to suppress a project-related fire and be responsible for post-fire rehabilitation. The team will aggressively prevent and suppress fires on and adjacent to the project areas. If a fire starts in the Project area, the team will initiate and implement fire suppression activities in accordance with an approved Health and Safety Plan.

This list includes only a few of the hundreds of protective measures listed in the Final EIS, which details the complete set of avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures. For species such as sage-grouse and eagles, these measures go beyond reducing impacts; they will actually result in a net conservation gain. Holistically, these measures demonstrate the BLM and MVE’s desire to provide valuable protection to these resources while still being able to produce clean domestic energy for thousands of homes and businesses across Idaho and the West.