Wildlife Best Practices
Avangrid Renewables implements a Wildlife Protection Program, comprising a range of activities focused on managing and reducing risk to wildlife and renewable energy facility operations. One area of focus is reducing the occurrence of potential attractants within a facility footprint. Avian and other scavengers hone in quickly on available food sources on the landscape, including garbage, hunting remains, livestock carcasses, and wild animal remains. While we love to see wildlife in and around our facilities, visible attractants in proximity to turbines presents risk to scavengers including eagles and our continued operations and shared revenue.
Thus, to the extent safe and practicable, please help ensure the land in and around facility infrastructure (turbines, power lines, substation, solar panels, etc.) be clear of potential attractants. Here are a few ways we can work together to minimize risk to wildlife and wind facility operations:
· Enclose or cover livestock carcasses left out for disposal. Please also do your best to coordinate closely with rendering services to minimize the time any carcasses are left in the open.
· If hunting within a project footprint, completely remove remains, gut piles, etc. of any animal you process.
· Promptly remove garbage or other refuse found within the wind energy facility.
· Minimize creation of human-made structures that may attract small mammals (potential prey), such as rock piles, debris or equipment storage, and discarded waste.
Please convey this information to your lessee or tenant under existing arrangements you may have with them. If any questions or concerns arise, please reach out to your Lease Portfolio Manager. As partners in wind energy generation, we thank you for helping us minimize risk to wildlife and support the smooth operation of our wind facilities.
