Cape Vincent ~ A recognized Important Bird Area

  

Photo ~  Wilson Swamp Cape Vincent Important Bird Area
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Bp has recently begun the process to pursue the development of their project through an Article 10 process. In a letter to the Public Service Commission  BP's Director of Development Richard 
 Chandler stated that BP Wind Energy has been engaged with our community (Cape Vincent) for years and such work should not be discounted, or required to be reproduced.

I take this to mean they expect their previous studies to be acknowledged as relevant and sufficient to proceed with their project under Article 10.

 How can BP be allowed to use Avian and Bat studies that used an avian & bat avoidance - mortality factor inappropriately derived from other studies?

 Cape Vincent is a recognized Important Bird Area (IBA) that provides a documented and well recognized migratory bird pathway for birds during their annual spring and fall migration. Additionally, the habitat within a half mile of the shoreline along Lake Ontario holds higher numbers and diversity of migrant birds than several miles inland. Within 2 miles of the shores of Cape Vincent across the St. Lawrence River is Wolfe Island Canada on this Island is a wind project consisting of 86 turbines of the same size and height of the ones originally proposed by BP/Acciona for their projects . The project on Wolfe Island has been operational since April of 2009 and avian and bat mortality rates have been available since May of 2010. However BP/Acciona chose to use data from Maple Ridge Wind farm some 40 miles away to calculate projected avian and bat mortality rates.

 Not long ago Nature Canada reported that the Wolfe Island wind complex turbine kill rate for birds and bats is seven times the industry average in Canada primarily because it is located in the wrong spot.

 The need to rethink the BP project was recently reinforced by the Canadian Environmental Commissioner, Gord Miller, Miller recently released a report titled ‘Losing Our Touch’, in which he recommends that wind turbines not be put in Important Bird Areas.

 How can BP be allowed to  develop a massive industrial  wind project in a sensitive Important Bird Area ?

IMPORTANT BIRD AREA 

AS DEFINED BY AUDUBON

Name:	Upper St. Lawrence/Thousand Islands
State:	US-NY	Status:	Recognized
Counties:	Jefferson, St. Lawrence	Priority:	State
Acres:	68,001

Site Description:

This site stretches from Wilson Bay on Cape Vincent where Lake Ontario drains into the St. Lawrence, 42 miles downriver to Chippewa Bay. It encompasses a range of wetland, shrub, and upland habitats. According to the NY GAP land cover data, 20% of the site is shrub habitat, which includes old field/pasture, successional shrub, successional shrub, and small amounts of shrub swamp. There are numerous islands, ranging in size from large islands like Wellesley and Grindstone Islands to the many small islands in Chippewa Bay. The site is primarily privately owned, but some parcels are administered by NYS DEC, NYS OPRHP, and owned by the Thousand Island Land Trust (TILT)

Link here to Audubon

 Link here to the Canadian Environmental Commission website  to download report