LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Western Area Power Administration have published a final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS), which evaluates the environmental impacts of wind energy development in the Upper Great Plains states of Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The final PEIS, when coupled with project-specific environmental assessments, is designed to standardize the environmental review process while ensuring protection for wildlife and other natural resources in the Upper Great Plains.
“The Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement allows proposed wind farms to address environmental concerns in a consistent, thorough, and transparent manner,” said Noreen Walsh, Regional Director of the Service’s Mountain-Prairie Region. “This effort protects the region’s wildlife resources while simultaneously supporting the president's 'all of the above' energy strategy.”
After the notice of availability for the final PEIS is published in the Federal Register, senior agency officials will review the PEIS for the next 30 days before making a final Record of Decision. The final PEIS can be viewed here:http://www.wapa.gov/ugp/Environment/WindEnergyPEIS/WindEnergyPEIS.htm.
- PEIS, Volume 1, April 2015 (54.8mb pdf)
- PEIS, Volume 2, April 2015 (33.4mb pdf)
More information: http://plainswindeis.anl.gov/
