hello tweeters,

apparently, the county planner is not aware of studies such as
these (although such studies will apparently not be given as much
consideration as issues that directly affect humans).

regards,

Deborah Wisti-Peterson, PhD Candidate nyneve at u.washington.edu
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA
Visit me on the web: http://students.washington.edu/~nyneve/
Life is better when you are reading a good book -- Author Tim Green



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 16:19:45 -0500
From: NEWS at fws.gov
Subject: Service Issues Guidelines to Reduce Fatal Bird Collissions with
Communications Towers

============================================================November 21, 2000 Chris Tollefson 202-208-5634


SERVICE ISSUES GUIDELINES DESIGNED TO REDUCE FATAL BIRD
COLLISIONS WITH COMMUNICATIONS TOWERS

After consulting with the telecommunications industry, academic
researchers, other Federal and
state agency representatives and bird conservation groups for more than a
year, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service has published interim guidelines designed to reduce the
number of birds killed
in collisions with towers used to transmit wireless telephone
conversations, television and radio
broadcasts, and other signals.

The guidelines are interim measures representing the best scientific
information presently
available for reducing fatal bird collisions. These interim guidelines
will be used by Service
personnel in responding to requests for evaluations of new tower proposals,
as the Service
continues to work with industry to devise additional, more effective
measures for avoiding bird
strikes. The guidance they provide is voluntary and non-binding.

"These guidelines have been developed from research conducted in several
eastern, southern, and
midwestern states, and provide the best scientific knowledge available on
designing and siting
towers to reduce the danger they present to migrating birds. We look
forward to working with
industry to implement these guidelines while conducting further research to
advance our
knowledge of the problem and its solutions," said Service Director Jamie
Rappaport Clark.

The guidelines include recommendations to co-locate proposed new antenna
arrays on existing
towers or other structures whenever possible; to build towers as short as
possible and without guy
wires or lighting; to site new towers in "antenna farms" away from wetlands
or other known bird
concentration areas; and to use white strobe lights, which appear to be
less attractive to birds than
pulsating lights, on towers that must be lighted for aviation safety.

The Service conservatively estimates that more than 4 million birds are
currently being killed
every year in North America in collisions with communications towers,
though more research
needs to be done to document the full extent of the problem and to explore
additional ways to
minimize deaths. Towers pose a special danger to some 350 species of
night-migrating
songbirds, especially on foggy nights. Under these conditions, birds are
attracted to towers with
pilot warning lights, which are required by the Federal Aviation
Administration for towers taller
than 200 feet, and for all towers within 3 miles of an airport.

Researchers have observed bird kills at communications towers for decades,
with one Service
estimate in 1979 placing the number killed at 1.3 million per year. That
estimate was based on a
survey of some 500 of the 1,010 tall towers then in existence. Today,
there are more than 75,000
towers registered with the Federal Communications Commission, including
nearly 45,000 towers
greater than 200 feet in height. Industry projections indicate there may be
as many as 100,000
new towers built in the next decade. Due to a Congressional mandate to
digitize all television
stations by 2003, an estimated 1,000 of these new towers will exceed 1,000
feet in height,
creating a potentially serious threat to migrating birds.

Service field stations have been involved in evaluating tower effects on
birds and identifying
ways to minimize losses since 1996. The Division of Migratory Bird
Management began to
address the issue in 1998, when it helped develop a tower risk model that
gave researchers a
clearer picture of the factors that contribute to fatal bird collisions.
In June 1999, the
Communication Tower Working Group, chaired by the Service and including 42
industry,
academic, private conservation and government stakeholders, was formed to
develop, help fund,
and implement a nationwide research protocol assessing causes of the
collision problem and
researching solutions.

In August 1999, the Service co-chaired a public workshop, "Avian Mortality
at Communications
Towers", at Cornell University, giving researchers and policy makers a
forum to begin to assess
and discuss the scope of the problem. This past summer, the Working Group
reviewed and
approved a nationwide research protocol that sets parameters and goals for
future studies.

The wireless telephone industry has been supportive of efforts to examine
the problem.
Southwestern Bell Wireless is discussing funding pilot studies that could
begin as early as this
fall. The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association has suggested
that the Working
Group submit a full research proposal for a 3-to-5-year nationwide
monitoring effort to their
Board of Directors for consideration.

"We're pleased that the wireless telecommunications industry has recognized
the need to study
this issue further, and is considering helping to fund the research
efforts. Their support is vital as
we begin the process of making migration safer for hundreds of species of
migratory birds," said
Service Director Clark.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency
responsible for conserving,
protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for
the continuing benefit
of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National
Wildlife Refuge
System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands
of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national
fish hatcheries, 64
fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The
agency enforces Federal
wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory
bird populations,
restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife
habitat such as
wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It
also oversees the
Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in
excise taxes on fishing
and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

- FWS -

============================================================
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