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    Moapa Solar Tortoise Impact Report - December 2015

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    SaveTheDesert
    Status of tortoises displaced by the Moapa Solar project as of December 2015

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Moapa Solar Tortoise Impact Report - December 2015

    Uploaded by

    SaveTheDesert
    61 views10 pages
    Status of tortoises displaced by the Moapa Solar project as of December 2015

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

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    Status of tortoises displaced by the Moapa Solar project as of December 2015

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    61 views10 pages

    Moapa Solar Tortoise Impact Report - December 2015

    Uploaded by

    SaveTheDesert
    Status of tortoises displaced by the Moapa Solar project as of December 2015

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 10

    Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

    Moapa Southern Paiute Solar Project Update


    Construction well underway with about 60% of project
    complete
    Commercial Operations beginning by the end of 2016

    Aiya Solar
    Project

    Currently employ over 350 construction workers,


    including 115 Tribal members and
    Native Americans
    About 90% local hires

    Project has created 1,276,301 work hours

    Reid Gardner
    Power Plant

    Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

    Training provided to Tribal members to support


    qualified tribal hiring

    Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

    Required Impact Minimization and Mitigation Measures


    Worker Environmental Awareness Program (WEAP) training continues to be provided to
    all personnel prior to performing any work

    Monitoring of desert tortoise in recipient and control site continues to be performed


    Reports continue to be submitted to USFWS as required

    Compensatory mitigation has been paid to the Tribe and BLM in accordance with the
    Biological Opinion (BO) prior to start of construction

    Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

    Coordination with USFWS is ongoing to ensure protection of the desert tortoise

    Translocation Spring 2013


    Translocation was done by previous project owner, K Road, in Spring of 2013 prior to project
    acquisition by First Solar

    A total of 156 desert tortoise were located on site (107 adults and 49 juveniles)
    Of that total, 65 tortoises were translocated. Health assessments were performed, radio
    transmitters were attached and they were moved to recipient site

    Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

    Other tortoises were within limits to move outside of the Project boundary

    Additional Tortoises Within the Site


    A total of 13 additional tortoises, 7 adults and 6 juveniles, have been found since the
    original translocation
    2014
    4 desert tortoise were found on site
    2 Adults
    2 Juvenile

    2015
    4 desert tortoises have been found within the original fence line

    1 adult

    3 juveniles (one desert tortoise currently in the pen awaiting translocation in spring 2016)

    5 desert tortoises were relocated from an area where fence line was expanded on May 25, 2015

    4 adults

    1 juvenile

    Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

    9 desert tortoise were found on site

    Current Desert Tortoise Take Compared to Established Take Limits

    Subadults & Adults


    Take Limit - 3
    Actual 1
    (Summer 2013)

    Hatchlings & Juvenile


    Actual - 0

    Death or Injury Outside


    Fenced Perimeter

    Capture (Tortoises
    Translocated or Relocated)

    Subadults & Adults


    Take Limit 1
    Actual 0

    Subadults & Adults


    Take Limit 120
    Actual 114

    Hatchlings & Juveniles


    Take Limit 2
    Actual 0

    Hatchlings & Juveniles


    Take Limit 83
    Actual 55

    Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

    Death or Injury Within


    Fenced Boundary

    Status

    Number as of 2014

    Current Number 2015

    Total number of translocated desert tortoise

    66

    66

    Current confirmed mortality or presumed


    deceased translocated desert tortoise

    18

    22

    Desert tortoise location not verified

    15

    Successfully located desert tortoise

    33

    35

    Mortalities are documented and cause is investigated as thoroughly as possible


    and reported to USFWS as required

    Evidence has indicated that depredation was the primary cause of mortalities
    among the translocated tortoise

    Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

    Translocation Status

    Ongoing Desert Tortoise Monitoring


    Monitoring of desert tortoises has been performed as follows:
    Translocated Desert Tortoises:
    Once within 24 hours of release
    Monitoring of translocated tortoises was performed twice a week for first two weeks after release

    A minimum of once a week from March through early November for 5 year monitoring period
    Once every other week from November through February for 5 year monitoring period

    A minimum of once a week from March through early November


    A minimum of once every other week from November through February

    Health assessments are conducted prior to and subsequent to over-wintering to observe any health
    problems.

    Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

    Resident and Control Site Desert Tortoises:

    Additional Measures Implemented


    Traffic on access road is monitored to ensure that all Project personnel are WEAP trained or escorted to site and
    other traffic is documented
    Delivery vehicles are escorted to Project site and handout of basic WEAP requirements is provided to drivers that
    are not WEAP trained
    In addition to the surveys performed, all work areas within and outside fenced boundary are checked for desert
    tortoise by a biological monitor prior to any work

    Project perimeter is checked daily to ensure the exclusionary fence is intact and tortoises that were relocated
    outside of the fence are not in distress. (BO only requires a monthly inspection)
    During months of high temperatures, Project perimeter is checked more frequently, and during weekend and days
    when work is not occurring to ensure that tortoises are not distressed along or near the fence
    Desert Tortoise shade structures have been placed approximately every 700 feet on the outside of the exclusionary
    fence

    Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.

    Biological monitors accompany and monitor work activities, both within and outside the Project boundary

    10

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