I found this on the Audobon action website. It is East coast, but the concepts might help us. Here it is: Energy transmission lines and corridors can fragment or destroy important habitat, and for too long environmental groups have had little or no opportunity to influence the siting of new energy infrastructure. In the past, groups were only given an opportunity for public comment once project proposals were far along in the planning process. Last month, an important milestone was reached that will help change that. As a result of Audubons efforts, an important new mapping and planning tool will be constructed to identify critical environmental areas for utility regulators, enabling a more environmentally-friendly approach to power grid development in the eastern US. Most utility commissions now lack ready access to such data, making informed front-end planning and adequate analysis of environmental impacts virtually impossible. This new decision support system will bridge that enormous gap, facilitating a more informed and balanced approach to energy planning in 39 states. Audubon led a group of environmental organizations in pushing for the development of this decision tool, a two-year effort which has finally been given a green light. Data on Important Bird Areas have already been provided as inputs and we will continue to be closely involved in the months to come to ensure that environmental considerations continue to be central components of this new resource.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 17:09:24 +0000
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