California Wind Energy Biological Dataset [ds667]

This dataset was created in conjunction with the California Guidelines for Reducing Impacts to Birds and Bats from Wind Energy Development (Guidelines) that were jointly developed by the California Energy Commission and California Department of Fish and Game. It is intended to house bird and bat data collected according to the Guidelines as well as other previously available wind energy-related datasets in the state. The California Energy Commission approved the voluntary Guidelines on September 26, 2007. The guidelines provide information to help reduce impacts to birds and bats from new development or repowering of wind energy projects in California. They include recommendations on preliminary screening of proposed wind energy project sites; pre-permitting study design and methods; assessing direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts to birds and bats in accordance with state and federal laws; developing avoidance and minimization measures; establishing appropriate compensatory mitigation; and post-construction operations monitoring, analysis, and reporting methods. The objectives of the Guidelines are to provide information and protocols for assessing, evaluating, and determining the level of project effects on bird and bat species, and to develop and recommend impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures. The document is organized around five basic project development steps: 1. Gather preliminary information and conduct site screening. 2. Determine the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), wildlife protection and permitting requirements. 3. Collect pre-permitting data using standardized monitoring protocol. 4. Identify potential impacts and mitigation for the permitting process. 5. Collect operations monitoring data using the standardized monitoring protocol. For more information on the Guidelines effort and a link to the document itself, visit www.energy.ca.gov/renewables/06-OII-1/

This dataset is made available with the understanding that it shall be used exclusively by the obtainer. Do not redistribute this dataset. Use is to be made on an as-needed basis, where there is a need to know bird and bat use in a particular area for protection and management purposes during the wind energy siting process. Use of the database also may be made by researchers, planners, and government agencies for large-scale research, management, planning, and regulatory purposes.

Disclaimer : The State makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or adequacy of these data and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in these data. No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed, or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from computer virus, is given with respect to these data.