PHASE I AVIAN RISK ASSESSMENT Garden Peninsula Wind Energy Project Delta County, Michigan Report Prepared for: Heritage Sustainable Energy October 2007 Report Prepared by: Paul Kerlinger, Ph.D. John Guarnaccia Curry & Kerlinger, L.L.C. P.O. Box 453 Cape May Point, NJ 08212 (609) 884-2842, fax 884-4569 [email protected] [email protected] Garden Peninsula Wind Energy Project, Delta County, MI Phase I Avian Risk Assessment Garden Peninsula Wind Energy Project Delta County, Michigan Executive Summary Heritage Sustainable Energy is proposing a utility-scale wind-power project of moderate size for the Garden Peninsula on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Delta County. This peninsula separates northern Lake Michigan from Big Bay de Noc. The number of wind turbines is as yet undetermined, but a leasehold map provided to Curry & Kerlinger indicates that turbines would be constructed on private lands (i.e., not in the Lake Superior State Forest) in mainly agricultural areas on the western side of the peninsula, and possibly on Little Summer Island. For the purpose of analysis, we are assuming wind turbines with a nameplate capacity of 2.0 MW. The turbine towers would likely be about 78.0 meters (256 feet) tall and have rotors of about 39.0 m (128 feet) long. With the rotor tip in the 12 o’clock position, the wind turbines would reach a maximum height of about 118.0 m (387 feet) above ground level (AGL). When in the 6 o’clock position, rotor tips would be about 38.0 m (125 feet) AGL. However, larger turbines with nameplate capacities (up to 2.5 MW and more) reaching to 152.5 m (500 feet) are may be used. This report details a Phase I Avian Risk Assessment conducted for the Garden Peninsula Wind Energy Project (hereafter referred to as the “Project”). The purpose of a Phase I Avian Risk Assessment is to determine potential collision and disturbance/displacement risk to birds from project construction and operation at a proposed site. The risk-assessment process is based on: 1) a site visit, 2) a literature and database search, and 3) written consultations with wildlife agencies (Michigan Department of Natural Resources [MDNR] and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS]) regarding special-interest species, as well as other wildlife concerns. The peninsula’s western shore rises between 50 and 200 feet (15 and 60 m) from Big Bay de Noc, which is at about 580 feet (175 m) above sea level (asl). In many places, the rise is steep along the shore, forming bluffs. The maximum elevation of the peninsula is about 785 feet (240 m) asl, but the higher ground where turbines would be located ranges between 620 and 785 feet (190 and 240 m) asl. From the western shore, the land descends gradually to the east, where it submerges into Lake Michigan. Little Summer Island is fairly flat, reaching a maximum elevation of about 605 feet (185 m), about 8 m (25 feet) above the lake. An experienced field ornithologist visited the site of the proposed Garden Peninsula Wind Energy Project on September 8-10, 2007. He found that habitat in the study area ranged from dense boreal forest in the northern part of the peninsula to large agricultural fields with hedgerows and woodlots in the central and southern parts. The extensive, dense boreal forest also extended down to the far southern tip, especially on the east side of the peninsula, and also bordered many of the agricultural fields. The shoreline was fairly rocky, with some rush/sedge marshes. Curry & Kerlinger, LLC – Draft – October 2007 © 2 Garden Peninsula Wind Energy Project, Delta County, MI On Little Summer Island, the habitat was similar – extensive mixed coniferous-deciduous boreal woodland and large fallow fields. One of the fields was an old airstrip in the center of the island. Another bordered the shoreline at the southern end, where some rush/sedge wetlands mixed in. The southern shoreline had extensive shallow water/rocky mudflat areas. The site visit was conducted during fall migration. Migrant landbirds were very abundant throughout the peninsula on the three survey days. They were found from the boreal forest at the peninsula’s northern end to the hedgerows and woodlots in the central and southern parts. Little Summer Island also had large numbers of migrants, especially at the southern end, where both mixed-species foraging flocks and many birds in flight were found, including quite a few birds flying north back towards the main peninsula. Raptor migration was also evident, including 20 to 25 Bald Eagles (MI threatened) and ten Merlins (MI threatened). Based on the site visit and analysis of Breeding Bird Atlas (BBA) and Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data, the Garden Peninsula has a diverse breeding avifauna, composed of forest-interior, forest-edge, agricultural-grassland, and wetland bird communities. No Michigan endangered species appears likely to breed within the Project area. Among Michigan threatened species, Common Loon may nest on the larger ponds and small lakes at the base of the peninsula (not in the Project area), and Osprey and Bald Eagle may nest along the shore of the peninsula and on Little Summer Island. Caspian Terns appear to breed on one of the small offshore islands and may occasionally forage at ponds in agricultural areas (recorded in central and southern townships in BBA). Regarding Michigan special-concern species, American Bittern probably breeds in sedge/rush marshes, and Grasshopper Sparrow may breed in agricultural grasslands. But, Northern Harrier, Cooper’s Hawk, and Black Tern are probably uncommon on the peninsula during the breeding season. Green-List species1 may breed on the peninsula (no confirmations in the 1983-1987 BBA, and generally few BBS records), including American Black Duck, Wilson’s Snipe, American Woodcock, and Canada Warbler but are unlikely to nest within the Project boundary. The Green-List Upland Sandpiper, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Wood Thrush are uncommon to rare breeders on the peninsula. The Garden Peninsula is a site where significant bird migration may be observed. Night- migrating songbirds may occasionally concentrate in the peninsula’s wooded habitats during fallout events, when birds migrating on broad fronts over Lake Michigan redirect themselves to the nearest landfall at dawn. Fallout would be greatest in lakeshore woodland and the edges of these woodlands. The Garden Peninsula seems to be part of a migration route along which some hawk species and other birds island-hop to and from the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. Most of this traffic probably results from birds that get trapped on the Garden or Door peninsulas, but this water crossing would pose no difficulty for falcons and some other raptors. Hawk watch data suggest that fall migration traffic on the Garden Peninsula exceeds that of spring. 1 Developed by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the Green List contains all the highest priority birds for conservation in the continental United States and Canada. Curry & Kerlinger, LLC – Draft – October 2007 © 3 Garden Peninsula Wind Energy Project, Delta County, MI Waterbirds can be expected to stopover in the waters around the peninsula and in marshes and ponds on the peninsula, but large concentrations are not expected, given the abundance of waterbird habitat in the Great Lakes region. Nonetheless, the site visit found the best stopover habitat for waterbirds off the southern tip of Little Summer Island. Migrating geese and Sandhill Cranes may also forage in agricultural fields. The actual migration of most nocturnal-migrant songbirds and waterbirds will be broad front in nature and generally at altitudes above the sweep of the wind turbine rotors. For hawks out on the peninsula, migration will be channeled by the landform. Soaring hawks generally fly above the sweep of the rotors, but accipiters, falcons, and some others may at rotor height. Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data indicate that the Project site will host few birds in winter, when cold temperatures, wind exposure, snow, and frozen water make the Garden Peninsula fairly inhospitable to birds. Of the listed species, the threatened Bald Eagle is perhaps the likeliest to occur, so long as the waters around the peninsula remain open. A small number likely occur along the lakeshore in pursuit of fish, ducks, and gulls. The Michigan Important Bird Area (IBA) Program has nominated the Garden Peninsula as an IBA. The American Bird Conservancy (ABC), on the other hand, has designated the Lake Superior State Forest, which extends down the eastern side of the Garden Peninsula, as an IBA because this huge state forest is ah concentration point for migrating songbirds and hawks. ABC also lists the adjacent Hiawatha National Forest as an IBA for its high diversity of breeding warblers. The Garden Peninsula is also a featured birdwatching area, particularly in spring migration. Therefore, the Garden Peninsula is of recognized ornithological interest and importance, particularly during migration. Regarding avian risk from the Garden Peninsula Project, some grassland-nesting birds may be displaced or disturbed by turbine placements in agricultural grasslands. Species may include, in probable order of abundance, Bobolink, Savannah Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow (MI special concern), Killdeer, and Horned Lark. It is likely, however, that these birds will be more impacted by agricultural practices than by wind turbine placement. Regarding waterbirds, should wind turbines be constructed near lakeshore marshes and the open waters of Big Bay de Noc or Lake Michigan, there would be some potential for displacement of birds that use those habitats. However, those habitats are widespread in northern Lake Michigan region, and regionally significant concentrations of waterbirds are unlikely in the vicinity of wind turbines on the Garden Peninsula. Nonetheless, the site visit deemed that stopover habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds was of particularly high quality off the southern tip of Little Summer Island.