HomeMy WebLinkAbout20222463.tiffMariah Higgins
Subject:
FW: Notice of final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for
the Cedar Creek and Mountain Breeze / Panorama Wind Energy Projects located in
Weld County, Colorado.
From: Casady, Dustin J <dustin casady@fws.gov>
Sent: Thursday, February 2, 2023 11:10 AM
To: Karla Ford <kford@weldgov.com>; Rebecca.Ferrell@state.co.us; heather.dugan@state.co.us;
mike.sherman@state.co.us; Dan.Gibbs@state.co.us; conor.cahill@state.co.us; kandee.nourse@wgcd.org;
vernon.koehler@usda.gov; jon.belak@audubon.org
Cc: Niva, Liisa M <Liisa Niva@fws.gov>; Hill, Laurel A <laurel hill@fws.gov>; Boroja, Maria T <maria boroja@fws.gov>;
Daly.Edmunds@audubon.org; Kamienski, Tomas D <tomas kamienski@fws.gov>; Lehmicke, Anna Joy J
<annajoy lehmicke@fws.gov>; Doster, Rob <Rob Doster@fws.gov>
Subject: Notice of final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Cedar Creek and
Mountain Breeze / Panorama Wind Energy Projects located in Weld County, Colorado.
Caution: This email originated from outside of Weld County Government. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the
sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Stakeholder:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is releasing the final Environmental Assessment (EA), Finding of
No Significant Impact (FONSI) and findings document related to the issuance of three Incidental Eagle Take
Permits (IETPs) for the existing and operating Cedar Creek and Mountain Breeze / Panorama Wind Energy
Projects (collectively "Project") located in Weld County, Colorado. Leeward Renewable Energy Development,
LLC (Applicant) is requesting three 30 -year IETPs for the take of bald and golden eagles, pursuant to the 2016
Eagle Act regulations.
The three 30 -year permits authorize the potential take of bald and golden eagles associated with the
operation of the existing 402 -turbine Project, and outlines required conservation and compensatory
mitigation measures for minimizing and offsetting potential eagle take.
The Applicant committed to implementing avoidance and minimization measures, compensatory mitigation
actions and post construction monitoring as outlined in their eagle conservation plan (ECP), which is available
online at https://www.fws.gov/media/cedar-creek-wind-project-and-mountain-breezepanorama-wind-
energy-wind-proiect. These conservation measures are designed to avoid and minimize impacts to eagles and
are available for public reference.
The final EA analyzed the risk of bald and golden eagle take and potential impacts of issuing three IETPs
associated with operation of the Project. The project area covers approximately 63,952 acres of private and
State of Colorado owned lands.
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act prohibits the "take" of bald and golden eagles without an IETP.
"Take" means to pursue, shoot, shoot at, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, destroy, molest or disturb
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02/13/23
an eagle. In 2016, the Service published the final revision to the 2009 Eagle Act regulations, authorizing take of
eagle nests and the incidental (non -purposeful) take of eagles associated with an otherwise lawful activity.
The eagle take permitting regulatory process enables the Service to work collaboratively with industry to avoid
and minimize eagle deaths, mitigate for golden eagle take that does occur and gather essential information
about eagles that will help to maximize eagle conservation across the nation.
The draft EA was made available for a 30 -day public comment period starting on November 22, 2021, opening
a 30 -day public comment period, which ended on December 21, 2021. It has been determined that there is no
new significant information, and the Service has prepared this FONSI in accordance with NEPA regulations.
For specific questions, please contact Rob Doster at rob doster@fws.gov.
Thanks,
Dustin Casady
Wildlife Biologist and NEPA Lead, Division of Migratory Birds
Mountain Prairie Region
334 Parsley Boulevard
Cheyenne, WY 82007
Cell: (303) 378-7233
Office: (307) 757-3722
dustin casady@fws.gov
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Mariah Higgins
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Follow Up Flag:
Flag Status:
Karla Ford
Thursday, August 11, 2O22 9:39 AM
CTB
FW: Cedar Creek and Mountain Breeze / Panorama Wind Energy Wind Projects draft
Environmental Assessment 3O -day public comment period
Follow up
Flagged
Karla Ford g
Executive Assistant & Office Manager, Board of Weld County Commissioners
1150 O Street, P.O. Box 758, Greeley, Colorado 80632
:: 970.336-7204 :: kford(a)weldgov.com :: www.weldgov.com
**Please note my working hours are Monday -Thursday 7:00a.m.-5:00p.m.**
Confidentiality Notice: This electronic transmission and any attached documents or other writings are intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed
and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please
immediately notify sender by return e-mail and destroy the communication. Any disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action concerning the contents of
this communication or any attachments by anyone other than the named recipient is strictly prohibited.
From: Kamienski, Tomas D <tomas_kamienski@fws.gov>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2O22 8:52 AM
To: Karla Ford <kford@weldgov.com>; Rebecca.Ferrell@state.co.us; heather.dugan@state.co.us;
mike.sherman@state.co.us; Dan.Gibbs@state.co.us; conor.cahill@state.co.us; kandee.nourse@wgcd.org; Koehler,
Vernon -FS <vernon.koehler@usda.gov>; Belak, Jon <jon.belak@audubon.org>
Cc: Niva, Liisa M <Liisa_Niva@fws.gov>; Hill, Laurel A <laurel_hill@fws.gov>; Boroja, Maria T <maria_boroja@fws.gov>;
Edmunds, Daly <Daly.Edmunds@audubon.org>
Subject: Cedar Creek and Mountain Breeze / Panorama Wind Energy Wind Projects draft Environmental Assessment 3O -
day public comment period
Caution: This email originated from outside of Weld County Government. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the
sender and know the content is safe.
Dear Stakeholder:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is making available for public comment a draft Environmental
Assessment (EA) that analyzes the risk of bald and golden eagle incidental take associated with operation of the
existing and operating Cedar Creek Wind Project (CCWP) and Mountain Breeze / Panorama Wind Energy
Wind Project (MBPWEP), located in Weld County, Colorado. Leeward Renewable Energy Development, LLC
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2022-2463
(Applicant) is requesting two, 30 -year Incidental Eagle Take Permits (IETPs) for the take of bald and golden
eagles, pursuant to the 2016 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act) regulations.
The Applicant has committed to implementing avoidance and minimization measures, compensatory mitigation
actions and post construction monitoring as outlined in their Eagle Conservation Plan (ECP). These
conservation measures are designed to avoid and minimize impacts to eagles and are available for public
reference. Relevant information about this Project, including the draft EA and ECPs, is available at
https://fws.gov/media/cedar-creek-wind-project-and-mountain-breeze-panorama-wind-energy-wind-project .
The draft EA analyzes the risk of bald and golden eagle take and potential impacts of issuing an incidental eagle
take permit associated with operation of the Project.
The Eagle Act prohibits the "take" of bald and golden eagles without an eagle take permit. "Take" means to
pursue, shoot, shoot at, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, destroy, molest or disturb an eagle. In 2016,
the Service published a final rule authorizing take of eagle nests and the incidental (non -purposeful) take of
eagles associated with an otherwise lawful activity.
The eagle take permitting regulatory process enables the Service to work collaboratively with industry to avoid
and minimize eagle deaths, mitigate for golden eagle take that does occur and gather essential information about
eagles that will help to maximize eagle conservation across the nation.
For more information, please visit our project website at https://fws.gov/library/collections/mountain-prairie-
region-nepa-documents-eagle-permits. For specific questions, please contact Tomas Kamienski
at tomas kamienski@fws.gov .
Tomas Kamienski
Wildlife Biologist and NEPA Lead, Division of Migratory Birds
Mountain Prairie Region
Work Cell: (303) 927-8601
134 Union Blvd.
Lakewood, CO 80228
Tomas Kamienski@fws.gov
I recognize and acknowledge that I work and live on the ancestral lands of the Ute, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and
Ochethi Sakowio (Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota) Tribes.
2
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