U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grant: Monitoring Eagle Fatalities at Low-Risk Projects

This funding opportunity will enable collaborative work between a member university of the Pacific Northwest CESU and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). The Service has identified an immediate need to develop specific tools and protocols for low-risk wind facilities that allow for expedited permit evaluation while ensuring that levels of eagle take are accounted for in a way that is consistent with management objectives. The ability to articulate key uncertainties which influence the models, and to design monitoring programs that can resolve these uncertainties, is particularly important. The goals of this collaboration are to: develop a standardized post-construction monitoring protocol for low-risk wind projects that would enable the Service to determine whether unacceptable levels of eagle take may be occurring, modify current models to better represent low-risk projects, evaluate survey design and data requirements as appropriate, and assist Service staff with implementation of products into the larger eagle permitting framework. The initial effort will focus on revising the collision model and developing monitoring standard for projects in low-risk areas. Later efforts may include modifying the adaptive decision framework, developing or refining collision models with additional complexity, and continuing development of a bald eagle specific model (collision prior).