Providing essential environmental services for over a decade
Commercial wind facilities affect many bat species, including the federally listed Indiana bat and northern long-eared bat. In order to manage risk associated with listed bats during wind farm operation, our team was selected to conduct two seasons of pre-construction bat acoustic surveys and two Indiana bat mist-netting surveys.
Based on the results of the surveys, we prepared a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) in accordance with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act in support of an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) application. The HCP documents the effects of the wind farm on the two bat species, estimates take, and includes conservation measures that would avoid, minimize, and mitigate take of Indiana and northern long-eared bats. We also served as a third party National Environmental Policy Act contractor working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to prepare an environmental assessment evaluating the effects of issuance of an ITP for Indiana bats and northern long-eared bats.
The Finding of No Significant Impact and ITP were issued in August of 2016, and our team has conducted post-construction mortality monitoring annually since 2013.
At a Glance
Terry VanDeWalle, Senior Ecologist
Working in the natural resources field is rewarding. In the words of naturalist William Beebe, it is better to be a naturalist than a king.
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