The Black Swamp Bird Observatory Conservation Committee is thrilled to announce a landmark victory in the ongoing fight to protect birds and their habitat from poorly-sited wind turbines.
After five years of relentless pressure from BSBO and our partners at American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the Ohio Air National Guard (ANG) has backed down from plans to construct a wind turbine at the Camp Perry facility in Ottawa County. The final push in the crusade to halt this project – which posed a grave threat to populations of migrating birds and bats – came in the form of a lawsuit, filed earlier this year by BSBO and ABC. In response to the suit, Ohio ANG has stated it has not approved or authorized plans to install a large turbine at Camp Perry, and that it has no plans to do so. "We are relieved that after a five-year battle to convince them to do so, the ANG made the decision to protect the integrity of this Globally Important Bird Area by halting construction of the Camp Perry wind turbine project," said Kim Kaufman, Executive Director of BSBO. "It is our hope that this decision will send a strong message to others looking to develop wind energy in this area. I'd also like to express our sincere gratitude to all those who supported BSBO and ABC in this effort."
Northwest Ohio—and many areas along the Great Lakes coastline—provide some of the most important migratory bird stopover habitat in the Western Hemisphere. The most recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) radar studies conducted in Great Lakes coastal areas in Ohio, New York, and Ontario recommend that no turbines be built within 5-10 miles of any Great Lakes shoreline, given their demonstrated potential to decimate migratory populations.
The planned Camp Perry turbine, though, would have been located less than a mile from Lake Erie, deep within a Globally Important Bird Area. Undoubtedly, this would have set a dangerous precedent, paving the way for further disregard of the FWS recommendations. "This reaffirms the Department of Defense's record on wildlife conservation," said Dr. Michael Hutchins, Director of ABC's Bird-Smart Wind Energy Campaign. It "sends a message to other wind energy developers who have their eyes on the Great Lakes."
While the entire BSBO team is savoring this opportunity to celebrate a win, we recognize that the fight for responsible wind energy is far from finished. With more plans for wind projects popping up all around the Great Lakes Region, there is little time to relish this victory. While we are satisfied with the ultimate outcome, the fact is, it took a lawsuit to make our voices heard. Clearly, the system is broken, and we have a lot more work to do. As we look forward to the next project looming on the horizon, we hope you'll continue to support us in whatever way you can.
We share this victory with and express our most sincere gratitude to all the organizations and individuals who have stood alongside us and supported us in any way. We could not have affected this change without the partnership from the American Bird Conservancy (ABC). We could not affect any change without the generous support of our members and supporters – like you.
Black Swamp Bird Observatory has a voice, but when it is joined by the voices of all our partners, volunteers, members, donors, and supporters, the resulting chorus that demands justice for birds becomes impossible to ignore.
The Black Swamp Bird Observatory Conservation Committee
http://www.bsbo.org
