May 24, 2023 |
Photo – Bald Eagle – Bigfoot99 file photo
According to a recently published media report, wind power companies in the West are getting away with killing eagles under the Biden Administration’s more lenient rules.
In a report based on government documents and testimony, the Associated Press concludes that dozens of permits already approved or pending would result in the deaths of roughly 6,000 eagles over several decades. Most permits are for wind farms, and more than half of the deaths would be among golden eagles, according to the report.
The AP concludes that significant numbers of eagles continue to die while fewer criminal cases are pursued, underscoring how the White House is pushing its climate change agenda while ignoring real-world data.
The Biden push for green energy has been accompanied by a falloff in enforcement of eagle protection laws, according to government reports. A pending proposal from the Biden administration could accelerate the problem. The White House is suggesting that permits should be streamlined, even made automatic in some cases, as it allows wind-energy projects and power line networks to intrude upon eagle nesting areas.
In Wyoming alone, anticipated wind energy projects could kill as many as 1,000 golden eagles, according to the minutes of a March 28th meeting where a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Biologist addressed the issue.
Some wind power companies are taking actions to reduce eagle mortality at their sites. Duke Energy, for instance, cut eagle deaths at a facility in central Wyoming by 60%. The company deployed a computerized camera system that can shut down a turbine within a minute to keep the blades from striking any bird it detects.
