ecology: mitigation & enhancement for onshore wind farms rachael iveson senior ecologist 28 th...
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Ecology:Mitigation &
Enhancementfor
Onshore Wind Farms
Rachael IvesonSenior Ecologist
28th March 2014
Overview
My background Ecological consultancy
What we do Legislation Site assessment Environmental Impact Assessment Avoidance, mitigation, compensation and
enhancement Examples
My Background
2003 BSc (Hons) Forensic Science 6 years in pharmaceutical industry 2010 MSc Environmental Studies 3 years working for RPS (UK engineering and
environmental consultancy) 1 year working for dedicated ecology
consultancy, MacArthur Green
Ecology Consultancy – Our Work
Majority = ecological assessment of a site for a proposed development Planning requirement
Monitoring (usually post-consent) Population modelling, collision modelling Advising statutory bodies - guidance
Legislation European
Natura 2000 sites; Birds Directive; Habitats Directive Individual species: otter, GCN, wildcat, bats, adder, golden
eagles, hen harrier, Killarney fern, etc. National
UK: WCA, Protection of Badgers Act Scottish (e.g. water vole)
Statutory Agencies
SNH, SEPA, Marine Scotland Guidance
EU, UK, Scottish Invasive non-native species
Wind Farm – Assessment
Desk based study Field surveys Consultation Ecological
Assessment Significance
Avoidance, Mitigation, Compensation, Enhancement
Avoidance (Design Mitigation)
Results of ecology surveys should feed into the design as early as possible. Infrastructure: turbines, borrow pits, substation,
tracks, lay-down areas, etc. Avoidance – use of buffer zones
Protected features Habitats and water (inc. GWDTEs) Flight paths (birds and bats)
Mitigation
Pre-construction, construction, operation, decommission
Good practice measures
Tailored to habitats/ species/ features present
Species Protection Plans
Compensation
Required when mitigation can not be fully achieved on site, e.g. destruction of a protected feature.
'Like for like' replacement. Example: Otter holt underneath root plate of a tree – required
to be felled
Artificial Otter Holt
Enhancement
Operational Phase – life of wind farm Habitat or Conservation Management Plans
How is this achieved?Planning conditionSteering Group –
agreementMonitoring and reporting
Enhancement
Example: Fairburn Wind Farm
Conservation Management Plan (CMP) Wind Farm consented 2009, commissioned 2010 20 x 1.75MW turbines (35MW generating capacity) Wind farm covers 348 ha CMP covers Fairburn Estate: 4,711 ha (~6x7 km2)
Fairburn Wind Farm CMP – Aims
Mitigation to reduce impacts to raptors – loss of foraging habitat and collision of merlin, hen harrier and red kites
Compensation for loss of semi-natural broadleaved woodland
Enhancement and restoration for native woodland, blanket bog & golden eagle prey
Monitoring
Ensure all Aims are being achieved Programme in CMP:
Vegetation monitoring Bird monitoring Prey monitoring
Conducted periodically Reported to Habitat Management Group
Mark Hill Wind Farm
Existing site in operation Consented 2008, commissioned 2011 28 turbines (56MW generating capacity) Habitat Management Plan Aims: to restore blanket bog and native
woodland (UK BAP species) Baseline – commercial forestry
HMP area extends beyond WF area
Mark Hill Wind Farm – Aims of HMP
Blanket bog restoration and enhancement Native woodland establishment and enhance
existing woodland Habitat enhancement for amphibians and
reptiles Riparian habitat enhancement
Summary
Overview of ecology consultancy in development of wind farms Planning through to operation
Avoidance, mitigation and compensation – 'neutralise' impacts from wind farm
Enhancement – where possible Dependent on land availability, ecology on site,
developer, planning conditions
Future Improvements?
Future enhancement opportunities Objectives and prescriptions – do these need
further scientific rigour? Should enhancement measures be mandatory? How can enhancement appeal to developers -
incentives? Biodiversity offsetting – can a metric be applied to
ecosystem services, that also incorporates social, economic and other environmental factors? Putting a price on the environment Planning system – policies, guidance to LPAs,
enforcement
Any Questions?
If you would like to ask me any other questions please feel free to send me an e-mail: