The next step has been accomplished in establishing Wind Turbine Guidelines.  A Federal Advisory Committee reached consensus on a set of draft recommendations aimed at minimizing the impacts of land-based wind farms on wildlife and its habitat.  Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says he will review the recommendations and take them under advisement as he asks the Service to develop guidelines for evaluating wind energy development on public and private lands.

Highlights of the committee's recommendations include: A decision-making framework that guides all stages of wind energy development; Reliance on the best available science when assessing renewable energy projects and their potential environmental impact; and Use of landscape-scaled planning that recognizes the need to think long-term about protecting the nation's economic and natural resources.