Development of statewide avian protection plans for colorado's rural electric cooperatives

Harness, Richard E.; Nielsen, Linda

doi:10.1109/repcon.2005.1436315

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…All poles in an overhead electric system are not equally likely to electrocute a bird (Harness & Wilson ; APLIC ). Thus, to minimize avian electrocution it is important to identify high‐risk poles so electric utilities can use their limited budgets to greatest effect when implementing APPs (Harness & Neilsen ; Dwyer & Mannan ). Our model achieves this with regard to predicting the electrocution of most corvids and raptors in the SCE service area by quantifying number of jumpers, number of primary conductors, presence of grounding, and presence of unforested unpaved areas as the dominant land cover within 200 m. These 4 factors can be used to predict the probability of electrocution on a pole.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictive Model of Avian Electrocution Risk on Overhead Power Lines

Dwyer

Harness

Donohue

2013

Conservation Biology

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Electrocution on overhead power structures negatively affects avian populations in diverse ecosystems worldwide, contributes to the endangerment of raptor populations in Europe and Africa, and is a major driver of legal action against electric utilities in North America. We investigated factors associated with avian electrocutions so poles that are likely to electrocute a bird can be identified and retrofitted prior to causing avian mortality. We used historical data from southern California to identify patterns of avian electrocution by voltage, month, and year to identify species most often killed by electrocution in our study area and to develop a predictive model that compared poles where an avian electrocution was known to have occurred (electrocution poles) with poles where no known electrocution occurred (comparison poles). We chose variables that could be quantified by personnel with little training in ornithology or electric systems. Electrocutions were more common at distribution voltages (≤ 33 kV) and during breeding seasons and were more commonly reported after a retrofitting program began. Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) (n = 265) and American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) (n = 258) were the most commonly electrocuted species. In the predictive model, 4 of 14 candidate variables were required to distinguish electrocution poles from comparison poles: number of jumpers (short wires connecting energized equipment), number of primary conductors, presence of grounding, and presence of unforested unpaved areas as the dominant nearby land cover. When tested against a sample of poles not used to build the model, our model distributed poles relatively normally across electrocution-risk values and identified the average risk as higher for electrocution poles relative to comparison poles. Our model can be used to reduce avian electrocutions through proactive identification and targeting of high-risk poles for retrofitting.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictive Model of Avian Electrocution Risk on Overhead Power Lines

Dwyer

Harness

Donohue

2013

Conservation Biology

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“…In the United States, application of corrective actions will likely continue primarily at local scales as a consequence of how the electric grid is structured, but development of a larger scale model of poles on the landscape may be useful in identifying which local utilities are most in need of support. Colorado is the only state to have assembled a set of coordinated statewide Avian Protection Plans (APPs; Harness and Nielsen ), though large, multi‐state utilities also have programs with coordinated risk prioritization over large areas (S. Ligouri, APLIC, personal communication). Avian Protection Plans are documents describing a utility's program to minimize avian risk of mortality, including electrocution, associated with power lines (APLIC and U.S.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Avian Protection Plans are documents describing a utility's program to minimize avian risk of mortality, including electrocution, associated with power lines (APLIC and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , Harness and Nielsen ). Because electrocution mitigation rarely has been attempted at these scales, localized, uncoordinated approaches may not focus mitigation where conservation efforts are most needed, allowing persistence of areas where high‐risk poles occur.…”

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confidence: 99%

Power pole density informs spatial prioritization for mitigating avian electrocution

et al. 2016

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Raptor and corvid electrocutions cause continental conservation concerns for breeding, migrating, and wintering birds. Although concerns are widespread, mitigation is implemented primarily at local scales of individual electric utilities. By not considering landscape-scale patterns, conservation strategies may fail to focus mitigation where efforts are needed most. To enable resource managers to consider electrocution risk at larger scales, we developed a regional model of distribution power pole (pole) density in a grid of 1-km 2 cells throughout Colorado and Wyoming. To do so, we obtained data on pole locations from a sample of electric utilities covering 31% of Colorado and Wyoming, and developed a predictive model of poles throughout the remainder of the 2 states. Pole density was influenced by road lengths, number of oil and gas wells, slope, development, and land cover. Poles were densest in areas with high road lengths, high numbers of wells, and relatively flat terrain, and in areas developed for agriculture or human residences. When model predictions are viewed together with species-specific habitat maps, locations where high pole densities overlap habitat suggest areas where mitigating electrocution risk could be prioritized. Communication between resource managers and local utilities could then clarify the poles that caused the highest risk to raptors from electrocution. Thus, the model provides a framework for systematic spatial prioritization in support of regional conservation planning to minimize electrocution of raptors and corvids. Ó 2016 The Wildlife Society.

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“…In North America, installation of most electrical infrastructure occurred before development of standardized avian‐friendly designs. Although take of golden eagles is a violation of federal laws, the immediate retrofitting of millions of distribution poles in eagle habitat is not financially feasible, therefore prioritization is needed to identify the poles of highest electrocution risk to eagles (APLIC and USFWS , Harness and Nielsen , Dwyer and Mannan ). The management approach to prioritizing pole retrofitting activities has historically been at the individual utility scale (APLIC ) but is now shifting to a broader regional scale (Dwyer et al ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review and synthesis of research investigating golden eagle electrocutions

et al. 2018

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Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) electrocution on power poles is a global conservation problem with an estimated 504 eagles electrocuted annually in North America alone. Despite widespread use of mitigation techniques to retrofit existing poles and to build new poles to avian‐friendly standards, electrocution remains a leading anthropogenic cause of death for the golden eagle. To assist electric utilities, wildlife managers, and the public in understanding eagle electrocution risk, we reviewed and synthesized risk factors and mitigation techniques from published literature from 1940 to 2016. Eagles have 8 electrocution risk factors: pole design, eagle age, morphology, land cover and topography, prey availability, season, weather, and behavior. Pole configuration was the most frequently identified electrocution risk factor and electrocution incidents were most often associated with distribution level (<69 kV) equipment poles. Age was the second most frequently identified risk factor, with juvenile eagles electrocuted at approximately twice the rate of subadults or adults. Risk was also associated with large body size, high‐quality habitat, high prey density, winter dispersal, inclement weather, and intraspecific interactions. Risk modeling based on these factors may assist electric utilities and other stakeholders in identification of high‐risk poles at the regional scale. High‐risk poles need prioritization for retrofitting by electric utilities. Compensatory mitigation funding becoming available through eagle take permitting may be useful in offsetting costs to utilities. Electrocution mitigation efforts strategized by region to target high‐risk poles could result in substantial reductions of golden eagle annual mortalities. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

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Development of statewide avian protection plans for colorado's rural electric cooperatives

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Predictive Model of Avian Electrocution Risk on Overhead Power Lines

Predictive Model of Avian Electrocution Risk on Overhead Power Lines

Power pole density informs spatial prioritization for mitigating avian electrocution

Review and synthesis of research investigating golden eagle electrocutions

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