Mapping
AWWI’s Mapping Initiative is bringing together the most up-to-date and scientifically credible wind energy and wildlife data to create a national landscape-level planning tool.
The Wind-Wildlife Mapping Initiative
AWWI aims to encourage sustainable wind energy development. A key component of that mission is its initiative to create a landscape-level, GIS planning tool that draws upon multiple data layers to map wind energy potential across the country and characterize relative wildlife risk at the landscape scale. The tool will provide stakeholders with an initial baseline from which to identify potential issues and concerns for consideration during site-specific planning for medium and long-range wind energy development, along with development of conservation plans, monitoring scenarios and mitigation strategies.
To develop this tool, AWWI has partnered with The Nature Conservancy (TNC). As part of the development, The Nature Conservancy Team will:
- Review existing mapping processes for lessons learned;
- Identify, compile, share, synthesize and conduct optimization analyses on wildlife data.
AWWI has also sought collaborative oversight from its Founding Members in the tool's construction in order to ensure that the methodologies and assumptions are fully credible and transparent, and to see that the product is user-friendly. After initially focusing on a pilot area of the Northern Great Plains (WY, MT, SD, ND, NE), the mapping tool will be scaled up from the pilot region to a national level.
The web-based tool is scheduled for internal beta testing in the first quarter of 2010. Please continue to monitor the mapping tool’s progress via our web site.