Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

The proposal is to gain infrastructure and ongoing research costs to initiate pre-construction and post-construction research on birds and bat movement around proposed wind farm sites in BC. In 2006, the first wind energy proposals in British Columbia secured power-purchase agreements with BC Hydro, and will be operational by 2009. In 2007, a number of additional sites in the northeastern region of the province are currently undertaking environmental assessments for approval. BC's unique topography and fauna, however, make extrapolation of the effects of other wind farms on aerial wildlife difficult, and this could impede developing this clean energy source. The Centre is a joint venture between researchers at UNBC, Acadia University, and the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) and industry partners that focuses on developing technologies and conducting on-site research to better understand how aerial wildlife (birds and bats) utilize the airspace and habitat around proposed wind farm sites. This information will be used to reduce the potential for direct (collisions) and indirect (habitat loss, displacement of species from important feeding areas, avoidance behavior) impacts of wind farms. Our goal is to conduct detailed analysis of the movement behaviour of affected wildlife, considering factors such as migrational timing, distance and height of migrants in relation to both landscape and weather patterns. This will be combined with detailed study of the importance of proposed wind farm areas as foraging areas, stop-over points and breeding habitat for migratory species. Through detailed understanding of wildlife use of these areas prior to construction, we can predict the potential for impacts to be realized, and then work with wind energy producers to minimize these effects. The funding in this grant application will be used to develop high-performance tracking equipment (remotely operated radars with computer interfaces capable of identifying and automatically tracking wildlife targets) to monitor migrating birds and bats. Funding will also be used to support graduate student research that help better define the exact nature of wildlife/wind farm conflicts and mechanisms to reduce these conflicts.