Wind Energy Siting
Global climate change is a real threat to the sustainability of animals and humans. Since 2001, significant progress has been made combating global climate change with more than 1,500 megawatts of capacity added to our system through renewable wind energy. Nearly all of this development has been sited on lands east of the Cascade Mountains. But the next stage of wind power will increasingly be located on forestlands in Washington State. A wind turbine in these forested areas has the real potential for adverse impacts on threatened bird species like the Marbled Murrelet or Northern Spotted Owl. Seattle Audubon is working to ensure that this next wave of wind power projects is adequately evaluated; failure to do so could set a bad precedent that could undermine future renewable energy development, irreparably harm at-risk avian species, or both.
Wind Power Basics and Bird Impacts
Check out our frequently asked questions regarding wind energy (learn more).
Radar Ridge
Proposed wind power facility terminated on November 16 2011. Project would have been located in the center of a key area for Marbled Murrelet conservation (learn more).
Whistling Ridge
Find out more information about a proposed wind energy project in Skamania County proposed by SDS Lumber (learn more).
Threatened and Endangered Birds
Northern Spotted Owl
Puget Sound
(coming soon)
Forest Practices in Washington State
(coming soon)