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Take action to protect golden eagles and other birds of prey killed by wind turbines in the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, in eastern Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. Wind turbines in Altamont Pass kill more birds of prey than any other wind facility in North America, due to their location on a major bird migratory route in an area with high concentrations of raptors, including the highest density of breeding golden eagles in the world.

The Center strongly supports the development of alternative energy sources as a way to reduce our impact on the environment, including reducing greenhouse emissions and protecting wildlife habitat; however, the Altamont Pass turbines are severely impacting raptors due to bird kills from collisions with turbines and electrocution on power lines. The Center has a strong interest in making wind power cleaner and believes there are numerous changes that could be easily implemented at Altamont Pass by the wind power industry to significantly reduce raptor kills.

Research by raptor experts for the California Energy Commission indicates that each year, Altamont Pass wind turbines kill an estimated 881 to 1,300 birds of prey, including more than 75 golden eagles, several hundred red-tailed hawks, several hundred burrowing owls, and hundreds of additional raptors including American kestrels, great horned owls, ferruginous hawks, and barn owls. These kills of more than 40 different bird species are in violation of federal and state wildlife protection laws such as the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and several California Fish and Game Code provisions.

Alameda County has now mishandled the first step in reducing bird kills at Altamont Pass wind turbines, with the County Board of Supervisors poised to appoint an industry advocate as a so-called “neutral” scientific monitor. The Alameda County Planning Department is recommending that long-time wind industry paid consultant and advocate WEST, Inc. serve as the “neutral” scientific monitor for evaluating avian deaths caused by the Altamont Pass wind turbines, despite a clear and continuing financial conflict of interest.

The County Board of Supervisors will consider and vote on the WEST nomination this Thursday, April 6. Please contact the Board of Supervisors immediately and oppose the appointment of WEST as the scientific monitor for Altamont pass avian deaths and insist that bird kills at Altamont Pass are adequately monitored by a truly neutral party.