FSEC approves Horse Heaven ferruginous hawk mitigation plan; staff notes monitoring costs

The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council on Feb. 18 approved the updated ferruginous hawk nest mitigation plan submitted by Horse Heaven Wind Farm LLC, in compliance with Special Status Species Mitigation Measure number 5 of the site's certification agreement. Acting chair Nate Pamplin presided over the item while Chair Beckett and a council member recused themselves from the Horse Heaven discussion.

FSEC staff reported that the plan and related pre‑construction PTAG facilitator reports were posted for public comment and that, during a 14‑day comment period from Feb. 2–15, staff received nine comments which staff reviewed; staff recommended no further revisions. Sean Green, FSEC SEPA specialist, summarized staff-received cost estimates from the certificate holder for extending monitoring: mortality monitoring would cost an estimated $800,000–$1,000,000 annually and raptor nest surveys $50,000–$60,000 annually; extending mortality monitoring for an additional two years would cost approximately $1.6–$2.0 million while extending nest surveys two years would cost about $100,000–$120,000.

Council members discussed the adaptive management approach in the WildOne mitigation language, which allows FSEC to require additional survey extent, frequency or duration beyond the minimum three years "if the surveys in the first few years of operation are showing higher degrees [of] mortality or incidence than expected." Council members expressed a preference that at least one of the monitoring years occur early in the monitoring period to provide early indication of issues in the field.

Acting chair Pamplin called for a motion to approve the mitigation plan; the motion was seconded and, after no further discussion, the council approved the plan by a recorded 4‑0 vote.