Summary
Given the rapid and projected increase in wind energy development in the United States, including the Great Lakes states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, a broad interest exists for developing specific guidelines for placement and operation of wind turbines that minimize impacts on species, communities, and ecological systems. This demand has been addressed by many agencies through their own pre- and post-construction guidelines. Previous guidelines provide general guidance for siting and/or recommended protocols for monitoring, but the underlying documentation and caveats for these recommendations is often not provided or made explicit. In this report, we provide recommendations for wind energy siting and operation for birds, bats, and communities based primarily on peer-reviewed literature and published reports.