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
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Overview
My background Ecological consultancy
What we do Legislation Site assessment Environmental Impact Assessment Avoidance, mitigation, compensation and
enhancement Examples
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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
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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
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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
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Wind Farm – Assessment
Desk based study Field surveys Consultation Ecological
Assessment Significance
Avoidance, Mitigation, Compensation, Enhancement
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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)
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Mitigation
Pre-construction, construction, operation, decommission
Good practice measures
Tailored to habitats/ species/ features present
Species Protection Plans
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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
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Artificial Otter Holt
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Enhancement
Operational Phase – life of wind farm Habitat or Conservation Management Plans
How is this achieved?Planning conditionSteering Group –
agreementMonitoring and reporting
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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)
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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
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Monitoring
Ensure all Aims are being achieved Programme in CMP:
Vegetation monitoring Bird monitoring Prey monitoring
Conducted periodically Reported to Habitat Management Group
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Any Questions?
If you would like to ask me any other questions please feel free to send me an e-mail: