Wind
Fragmented stay
Brush clearing equipment make quick work of South Marysburgh vegetation.
Land clearing to resume on part of the White Pines project area
Astay of activities on the White Pines industrial wind turbine project was extended, but only in part of the project area, by the Environmental Review Tribunal reviewing the appeal brought by the Alliance to Protect Prince Edward County (APPEC) and John Hirsch.
Early in March, the Tribunal ruled the project would cause serious and irreversible harm to little brown bats and Blanding’s turtles. But it refused to stop the developer from clearing the site until another hearing is conducted to determine if remedies proposed by the developer will be sufficient to mitigate the harm.
A frantic series of appeals and court appearances followed until the Tribunal issued a temporary stay on April 8. More appearances followed by APPEC’s lawyer to extend the stay of activity, including land clearing until the remedy hearing is completed and a decision rendered.
Instead, the Tribunal ruled that the developer may not continue brush clearing in areas identified and defined by the developer’s consultant as spring foraging areas for the Blanding’s turtle. It has, however, allowed brush clearing to be carried out around several of other turbine sites.
“We are disappointed,” said APPEC president Orville Walsh in a statement. “We can only conclude that the Tribunal has an incomplete understanding of “significant habitat” and the importance of protecting all significant habitat, not merely one specific type.”
He added that APPEC’s board will meet with legal counsel to consider its next steps.
Has everyone in the government gone mad? Why sould the tribunal allow brush clearing in any area if the mandate is to protect bats as well as turtles? Bats are known for seeking out dark places to roost and that includes under the bark of trees, in hollow trees and under masses of large leaves. They don’t just live in caves and crevices.
According to the Government of Ontario:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/little-brown-bat
*Status
Endangered
“Endangered” means the species lives in the wild in Ontario but is facing imminent extinction or extirpation.
*Date added to the Species at Risk in Ontario List
January 24, 2013.
*Action we are taking
Endangered Species and their general habitat are automatically protected.
*Habitat protection
General Habitat Protection – January 24, 2013
The government website also instruction people to report any unusual bat deaths (with telephone number). Hmmmmm would death by lung explosion due to proximity to wind turbines be considered unusual?
Are these so called experts at the MNR stupid or do they just write these articles to fill in time to collect a paycheck? It’s absolutely clear that they don’t follow the rules they make for the rest of us. Good stewardship of bat hibernacula indeed. What a licensed load of guano.