Natural values as a planning tool for turbine parks at a landscape levelIntegrating biodiversity and landscape conservation, finding ways towards green infrastructure September 27th 2013 Andr van den Berg

Objectives of Green InfranetPolicy improvements and best practice transfersLead partner: reach autonomous policy improvement

Policy for re-organisation and scaling up of wind turbines in FlevolandChance to improve present situation to the better for biodiversity?

This is a smaller type

Reorganisation and scaling up of turbine parksNational objectives16 % of energy from sustainable sources in 20206000 MegaWatts of energy from wind turbine parks

Provincial objectives100 % energy (excl. Transport) sustainable in 2020~ 1400 MegaWatts from turbine parksFrom app 600 to 300 turbines, reconfigurated in parks

Improve landscapeWhere possible decrease ecological impactsSeven areas have been proposed

We will make them big, bigger, HUGE!!

Areas suited for re-organisation of turbines

Outline of this further presentationKnown effects of wind turbines on vulnerable biota

Presence of wind turbines in Flevoland

EU policies on biodiversity, Green Infrastructure and EC Guidance on wind turbines and Natura 2000

A qualitative study on possible conflicts in FlevolandPre-assessment of legal risks for Flevoland search areas of re-organisation and scaling up

Known effects of turbines on natural valuesBirdsWinkelman e.a.DeathS Percival 2005 Habitat disturbanceLandscape barriers

BatsDeathWinkelman e.a.

Presence of turbines in the Flevoland landscape

EU policies and GuidanceEU policy for BiodiversityStrategy 2020; halt loss of biodiversity and maintain ecosystem servicesIncrease Global Contribution outside EUBetter control of invasive alien speciesFull implementation of Natura 2000Better protection of ecosystems and enhance Green infrastructureMore sustainable agriculture and forestryBetter management of fish stocks

Green InfrastructureGo for it!Combine food, recreation, biodiversity, climate change adaptations and more

Guidance on windStrategic spatial planning recommendedBest practices in Germany, France, Denmark, Scotland

Guidance on Wind turbines and N2k

Objective of the studyObtain insights in potential conflicts of wind turbines versus ecological and landscape objectives

Facilitate framework for appropriate assessments and environmental impact assassments

Early indication for necessity to pro-actively come to nature-inclusive development schemes

Methodology of the study

Performed by Waardenburg bureau for ecological research and advice H.A.M. Prinsen, J.C. Hartman, J.D. Buizer, R.R. Smits, L.S.A. Anema; MMV Limpens van VZZ

Analyses based on Map of suggested new development areas in FlevolandCharts of provincial Ecological Main StructurePrevious assessments, Natura 2000 managementplans, reportsExpertises from ecologists of communities, Rijkswaterstaat, management authority (Flevo-Landschap) and Federation for environmental affairs (NMF)

AnalysesExisting configurations, not NOP/ SouthlobeAssumption a park has a minimum of 12 turbinesQualitative interpretations, calculation of victims (worst cases)

Focus of analysesBirdsNesting placesHabitats (birds of meadows and arable land)Foraging grounds (geese)

Seasonal migratory movements of populations

Coverage of search areas with Ecological Main Structure

Areas suited for special care of birds from meadows (left) and arable land (right)

Preselection of species with high risk profiles

OUTPUT of the StudyEstimated numbers of annual victims on worst case assumptions

Risks in perspective

OUTPUT of the StudyCharts of use and risk per area of interest and per species(groups)e.g. Bewicks and Whooper swanse.g. all Bats

OUTPUT of the StudyPolicy specific risk charts

OUTPUT of the StudyRisk chart aesthetics; established landscape values

OUTPUT of the Study Integrated chart of total risk (qualitatively!)

Towards increasing biodiversity and Green InfrastructureGovernance of the outcome per projectMitigating within development areasNature-inclusive spatial planningStand-still amenityWarning systems (?)

Costs versus profits analyses of alternativesLoss of economical output versus costs of mitigating the negative impacts on ecological values

STATEMENTSBiodiversity, because of its legal protection is a stronger basis for the conservation of landscape characteristics than the human experience of esthetics

There is no way to esthetically get a right fit of wind turbines in any landscape; you either like their presence or not

**As mentioned already by my project leader Ingrid Henzen, within our coorperations with other European regions we are in the process of exchanging the best experiences and practices for strengthening the green environment. We try to generate new strategies to come to integrating policies with the objective to make the conservation of biodiversity one of the priorities of spatial planning.

In Flevoland a new policy for re-organisation and scaling up of wind turbines was adpoted a few years ago. Implematentation stretches to the next decades.

During the start of de Green Infranet program we started a study to

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