Sacramento, Calif.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a permit to California Flats Solar, LLC for a short-term disturbance take permit for golden eagles for disturbance due to construction activities at its California Flats Solar Project in Monterey County, California. We also announce the availability of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Environmental Assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the issuance of a take permit for golden eagles pursuant to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act), in association with the project’s construction.
Upon completion, the California Flats Solar Project will be a 280-megawatt alternating current photovoltaic solar power facility. The facility will be built on approximately 3,000 acres in southeastern Monterey County near Paso Robles, California. The project site is located in an area that is optimal for solar energy development, and has been identified as a Competitive Renewable Energy Zone under California’s Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative.
The Service has been working with California Flats Solar to avoid and minimize effects of its construction activities to eagles and implement measures to conserve the eagles and their habitat. The permit being issued will allow disturbance to a single golden eagle pair for the 2018 eagle breeding season, and includes measures to mitigate the disturbance such that no net loss to golden eagle populations is anticipated.
Please contact Tracy Borneman at Tracy_Borneman@fws.gov if you would like to receive a copy of the FONSI and EA or if you have questions.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information about our work and the people who make it happen, visit https://www.fws.gov/cno/ or connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.
-FWS-
