WDFW Solar and Wind Guidelines 2024
WDFW Solar and Wind Guidelines 2024
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is writing Solar Development Guidelines and updating the WDFW 2009 Wind Power Guidelines (https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/00294). These documents will inform industrial (large scale, hundreds to thousands of acres) solar and terrestrial wind energy developers, environmental consultants, and other people interested in the impacts of renewable energy on wildlife and habitats in Washington. These guidelines will not include information about offshore wind.
What will be included in the Solar Development Guidelines and updated 2009 Wind Power Guidelines?
- Guidance for responsible siting of industrial renewable energy facilities that avoids or minimizes impacts to wildlife and habitats.
- Guidance on pre-permitting actions that should be completed by the developer to ensure impacts to wildlife and habitats are avoided or minimized. Some of these actions include: appropriate siting, wildlife and habitat surveys, development of vegetation management plans, and mitigation plans that are completed with input from WDFW.
- Construction and operation best-management practices that avoid or minimize impacts to wildlife and habitats.
The purpose of this form is to collect feedback from community members before the documents are published in early 2025. Feedback will be collected through November 2024. If you need help refering to wildlife, plants, or habitats while answering the questions below, please use https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats.
If you have any questions, would like to provide additional feedback, or would like to further contribute to the development of these documents, please reach out to solarandwind@dfw.wa.gov.
If you have any questions, would like to provide additional feedback, or would like to further contribute to the development of these documents, please reach out to solarandwind@dfw.wa.gov.
Step 1
(required) 1. In which county do you currently live?
Wildlife response to renewable energy
(required) 2. Do you think industrial solar energy development will have a positive or negative impact on the wildlife in your area?
(required) 3. Do you think industrial wind energy development will have a positive or negative impact on the wildlife in your area?
4. If you answered "Positive" or "Negative" to questions 2 or 3, which species of wildlife do you think will experience an impact from solar and wind energy development in your area? What do you think that impact may be? Please be specific and use this resource to identify species near you if needed: WDFW Species.
Plant and habitat response to renewable energy
(required) 5. Do you think industrial solar energy development will have a positive or negative impact on plants or habitats in your area?
(required) 6. Do you think industrial wind energy development will have a positive or negative impact on plants or habitats in your area?
7. If you answered "Positive" or "Negative" to questions 5 or 6, which species of plants or types of habitats do you think will experience an impact from solar and wind energy development? What do you think that impact may be? Please be specific and use this resource to identify habitats near you if needed: WDFW Habitats.
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