Audubon New York has submitted a formal letter to the Public Service Commission expressing its concern with the Avangrid Renewables/Iberdrola Horse Creek Wind Energy Project proposed to be built in Jefferson County, New York. This large, commercial wind energy facility, located near the town of Clayton, is to include forty 585-foot tall turbines. Audubon New York, the state program of the National Audubon Society, has an interest in this project because it is located within an area Audubon recognized as the Perch River Important Bird Area.
Important Bird Areas (IBAs) provide critical habitat for birds.

Sites are recognized as IBAs if they support populations of at-risk species (e.g., federally or state-listed), large congregations of birds, or assemblages of birds that are considered to be a conservation responsibility. The Perch River IBA was identified as an IBA because it supports one of the largest concentrations of breeding grassland birds in the state, including several species listed as threatened by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. For a list of birds that rely on the site, and additional information, read the complete letter below.

Click here to read the full letter.