From our colleagues Greg Corbin and Barbara Craig: On March 24, 2010, four conservation groups filed a complaint against Kauai’s electric utility, Kauai Island Utility Co-op (“KIUC”), alleging that KIUC’s power lines, utility facilities, and street lights “take” threatened Newell’s Townsend’s shearwaters (Puffinus Auricularis Newelli) (“Newell’s shearwaters”) and/or endangered Hawaiian petrels in violation of the … Continue Reading
From our colleague Eric Martin: After over two years of work, the federal Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee (“Committee”) recently released its final policy recommendations on how wind energy developers and operators can best assess and prevent adverse impacts to wildlife. Comprised of government, environmental, and wind industry stakeholders, the Committee recommends a five-tier approach … Continue Reading
Last month, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon alleging that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by failing to take action on a number of listing petitions. When a listing is petitioned, the Fish and Wildlife … Continue Reading
My colleagues Greg Corbin and Eric Martin report on an important development under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that may affect the siting and permitting of wind projects Yesterday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced the addition of 186 migratory birds to its list of species protected by the MBTA. Effective at the … Continue Reading
From our colleague Ryan Steen: On July 10, 2009, the Animal Welfare Institute and others (”Plaintiffs”) filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to halt construction of the Beech Ridge wind project in Greenbrier County, West Virginia (the “Project”). The Plaintiffs seek the injunction to prevent unavoidable harms that they allege the Project will cause … Continue Reading
