Bat Assessment Guidance for Wind Energy Facilities in Nebraska

The Bat Assessment Guidance for Wind Energy Facilities in Nebraska provides recommendations for pre- and post-construction surveys and data analysis that can help avoid or minimize bat fatalities at wind energy facilities in Nebraska.

The specific objectives are to:

• Determine bat activity patterns before and after the development of wind energy facilities;
• Evaluate the bat fatalities associated with operation of wind energy facilities; and
• Provide reliable information for siting and operation of current and future wind energy facilities in Nebraska.

Take Home Points:

• Consult early and often with the NGPC and the USFWS
• Feather wind turbine blades as a standard practice at all Nebraska wind energy facilities.
• At least one year of pre- and post-construction acoustic surveys are recommended.
• At least two years post construction mortality surveys are recommended.
• Data collection and analysis should be conducted by a trained bat biologist.
• Sharing data is recommended to help enhance recommendations for operational mitigation and siting.

Eastern Red Bat. Photo by Keith Geluso.