Compensatory offsetting tool for energy infrastructure

Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey and the Habitat and Population Evaluation Team of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service created several tools that enable compensatory offsets for displacement of breeding grassland birds and waterfowl associated with energy infrastructure, including renewable-energy, oil, and gas facilities and roads. The Avian-Impact Offset Method (AIOM) addresses displacement affecting grassland birds and waterfowl. The basis of the AIOM is a calculation that quantifies the displacement of grassland birds and waterfowl associated with energy infrastructure (that is, the disturbance features). The AIOM then estimates the amount of habitat needed to compensate for this displacement. The AIOM converts the number of bird pairs lost owing to avian behavioral avoidance and estimates the site-specific area of grasslands or the number of wetlands needed to compensate for displaced pairs of grassland birds or waterfowl, respectively. Decision-support tools spatially apply the AIOM to estimate grassland and wetland offsets and guide the location of offsetting measures. The AIOM can be applied to offsetting measures, including preserving existing habitat, restoring former habitat, or establishing conservation banks.