Abstract
Arkwright Summit Wind Farm, LLC is proposing to develop a wind-energy facility, the Arkwright Summit Wind Farm, in Chautauqua County, New York. As part of overall wildlife investigations, a habitat assessment was conducted for five (5) sensitive grassland bird species: Henslow’s sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii), grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) and northern harrier (Cirus cyaneus). The proposed project area lies within a mixed agricultural and forested landscape and has the potential to contain grassland habitat to support these state listed bird species, as indicated by the New York State Department of Conservation.
The objectives of the habitat assessment were: (1) identify and characterize grassland habitat within the project boundary and the area within a 1.5 mile buffer around the project as optimal or sub-optimal for suitability and utilization by the target species, and; (2) ground-truth potential habitat to provide information regarding sensitive species for use in project planning and design. Optimal habitat was defined based on current scientific literature. With the exception of the Northern Harrier, optimal habitat for the targeted species is defined as older (>10yrs) hay fields or livestock pastures greater than 30ha in size with <50% woody invasion. The Northern Harrier prefers marshy meadows, riparian zones or fallow fields greater than 10ha in size with thick woody vegetation (.5-1m tall) occurring at >50%.
Initially, land use/land cover maps, topographic maps, and aerial imagery maps were used to delineate areas with vegetation features potentially suitable for use by the target species, with specific focus on areas of proposed construction of permanent infrastructure (wind turbines). A field survey was conducted from June 22-June 24, 2009.
Much of the potential grassland bird species habitat within the project area is found along road corridors where active management of the land has kept the area from becoming reforested. Classifications of grassland types were active agriculture (hay fields, cultivated row crops or orchards) and abandoned old field (successional land reverting to forest). Optimal habitat is further defined by size, shape and presence/absence of habitat components; forbs, perches, water or bare ground.
As currently designed, five wind turbine locations are proposed adjacent to or within areas considered optimal grassland habitat for sensitive grassland bird species. An additional three sites outside of the project boundary (within the 1.5 mile buffer zone) were also identified as optimal habitat areas. Minimizing the size of construction areas around turbines and roads within the areas of optimal habitat will reduce the overall loss of potential habitat for the target species.