Farmer files federal lawsuit to prevent wind farm from starting, to protect Whooping Cranes

Farmer files federal lawsuit to prevent recently completed Pratt area wind farm from starting, to protect Whooping Cranes

wind farm
Wind farm project area

PRATT – A Pratt County farmer has filed a suit in federal court seeking to prevent a new wind farm in Pratt County from starting up because of the risk he believes it poses to Whooping Cranes.

Edwin Petrowsky, a former member of the Pratt County Zoning Commission, filed the suit Nov. 23 seeking temporary and permanent injunctions against NextEra Energy Resources.

Petrowsky contends the Ninnescah Wind Farm, which consists of 121 wind generators in the southeast quadrant of the county, is in the flyway of the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Whooping Crane, which is an endangered species. The wind farm is expected to go online next week.

At last count, there was only an estimated 329 wild Aransas-Wood cranes in North America.

Petrowsky charges that NextEra is aware of the danger the project is creating, yet has failed to obtain an “incidental taking permit” that would allow the incidental killing of some birds under the Endangered Species Act.

NextEra spokesperson Steve Stengel said that the company has worked with state and federal authorities “all throughout development of the project” and that the siting of the turbines “has taken into account migratory flyways.”

“Whooping Cranes generally fly higher than the heights of the turbines,” Stengel said. “But, in working with the agencies, we have agreed to ongoing bird monitoring at the site.”

According to an earlier story in the Pratt Tribune, the company has agreed to bird and bat monitoring during its first year of operation, “to track mortality rates.” The farm is also in an area with a high number of bat hibernation sites.

Parts of the wind farm, which will generate 200 megawatts of electricity that Westar Energy is under a 20-year contract to purchase, are within 35 to 40 miles of the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and Cheyenne Bottoms, both designated as critical habitat for the whooping crane. The Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, another designated habitat, is also nearby.

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***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo
population of wild whooping cranes and their habitat. *****

Friends of the Wild Whoopers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.

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Distinguishing Sandhill cranes from Whooping cranes

Reprinted from Kansas Wildlife Federation

Since whooping cranes are occurring more frequently in Kansas, especially at Cheyenne Bottoms and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and their surrounding areas, waterfowl hunters must be able to identify the endangered Whooping crane.
Sandhill crane photo by Nigel Winnu
Since whooping cranes are occurring more frequently in Kansas, especially at Cheyenne Bottoms and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and their surrounding areas, waterfowl hunters must be able to identify the endangered Whooping crane.
Whooping crane photo from Arkive.org

Since whooping cranes are occurring more frequently in Kansas, especially at Cheyenne Bottoms and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and their surrounding areas, waterfowl hunters must be able to identify the endangered Whooping crane (only a few hundred exist in the wild). Whooping cranes (Grus americana) and Sandhill cranes (Grus Canadensis) are similar in size and shape. Therefore it is important to be able to distinguish them. Sandhill cranes generally have grey plumage with a red forehead and crown and a white cheek patch; whereas, Whooping cranes have white plumage with red forehead and cheeks, and have blacker wing tips that are only visible in flight.

The penalty for shooting a whooping crane is a fine of up to $100,000 and/or up to one year in prison. Kansas is the only state in the Central Flyway to have delayed shooting hours to help protect whooping cranes. Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area have contingency plans if whooping cranes are present during hunting seasons and can be reached for information online. Hunters can visit the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism to take the online test for identifying Sandhill cranes plus download a brochure for identifying Whooping cranes and distinguishing them from other similar species.

 

For an excellent album of Sandhill crane photos visit Nigel Winnu https://www.flickr.com/photos/winnu/sets/72157603860826307/

For an excellent album of Whooping crane photos visit http://www.arkive.org/whooping-crane/grus-americana/image-G113760.html

by Ted Beringer

 

***** FOTWW’s mission is to help preserve and protect the Aransas/Wood Buffalo population of
wild whooping cranes and their habitat
. *****

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Whooping Cranes spotted at Cheyenne Bottoms

Whooping Cranes
Great Bend Tribune
By Karen LaPierre County Reporter
klapierre@gbtribune.com

Whooping Cranes spotted at Cheyenne Bottoms
Whooping Cranes – Dr. Dan Witt
Whooping Cranes – Dr. Dan Witt

Two whooping cranes have been spotted at Cheyenne Bottoms. Fifteen were spotted at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Curtis Wolf, site manager for the Kansas Wetlands Education Center said that he got a call from a woman from Kansas City willing to drive hundreds of miles to check seeing an endangered whooping crane off her bucket list.

Source: gbtribune

 

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