Along with being an exceedingly unreliable and inefficient provider of electricity, wind power kills birds. These include bald eagles, that symbol of American strength, fierce pride and beauty. Bald eagles are a protected species, however; they’re not like the sparrows that occasionally fly into your car windshield, whose fall doesn’t escape divine notice but doesn’t require action by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
Given that their actions slaughter bald eagles et al., wind power has to get permits to kill the birds from FWS under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. These permits, which require offsetting compensatory actions, require renewal every five years. Not long ago FWS thought five years was the absolute longest time period for permits, ought of concern of changing factors and their impact in the interim on preserving the eagles.
Now? In response to petitioning by wind power, FWS is proposing changing the five-year permit period to … thirty years. Wind power apparently has a vision of three whole decades of expanding operations and eagle slaughter without interference.
