A strategy has been suggested for developing regionally specific Rapid Assessment Methods (RAMs) to evaluate wildlife-related issues associated with wind development at specific sites. The RAMs are anticipated to be appropriate for use in situations identified as Tier 1 (preliminary evaluation or screening of potential sites) by the Federal Advisory Committee to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A Rapid Assessment Methodology specifically for the U.S. portion of Bird Conservation Region 11, the Prairie Pothole Region, has been developed as a pilot test of the strategy. It has been reviewed by several individuals familiar with the wildlife issues of the region. Discussions are underway regarding integrating the RAM methodology into GIS-based decision support systems that are under development.
