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habits, may react similarly to wind turbines and other tall structures. Human disturbance from recreational use, utilities maintenance, and high-intensity adjacent uses (i.e,, frequent or loud activities outside the norm of their natural habitat) can 4iistiirbrails and cause hcsrhe rtoge.abandonffiefll;Wito;stlb^i^^n6Stiflig failure; proposed | use of adjacent land near marshes should, therefore, be carefully evaluated prior to being permitted (Goals Project, 2000). f: Small Wind Power Projects Small wind turbines are an emerging technology and their use is not currently widespread. Thus, policies relating to their implementation and practical experience with their impacts on avians and bats are also lacking. Small ;• wind refers to wind energy systems that are generally less than 100 kW in capacity and produce electrical power | for on-site use. These turbines are suitable for use with small businesses, small industrial facilities, family farms, agricultural operations, single homes, cabins, and even sailboats. A distinction is made here between turbines used for business operations versus home use. While the rated capacity may be similar, home-use turbines typically have a rotor diameter of 3-12 feet (1-3 meters), while those used for business/small industrial operations typically have a larger rotor diameter, such as the 44-foot diameter of the proposed Vestas turbine. Several studies were identified that evaluated the impacts of single turbines, but their applicability in determining risk to birds at the proposed project is limited because those studies evaluated large turbines. At a single 200-foot tower wind turbine in Solano County, California, seven fatalities were documented from September 1982 to ? January 1983, and the total fatality estimate with adjustments for scavenger removal and searcher efficiency was estimated at 54 birds (Byrne 1983,1985 in Erickson et. al., 2005); a study in Sandusky, Ohio monitored a single, large turbine for avian mortality during four migratory seasons and found two dead birds during this period (Gauthreaux, 1994 in Erickson et. al., 2005); two large experimental turbines and a meteorological tower in f Wyoming were monitored for avian mortality in the early 1980s, where twenty-five fatalities were found over a one-year period. Most fatalities involved passerines that had collided with guy wires on the meteorological tower (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 1984 in Erickson et. al., 2005). « • ...... . i Recent single turbine projects in, or near Sari Francisco Bay marsh habi tat include the construction of a. single large wind turbine at the Anheuser-Busch facility and a string of four small turbines at the Fairfield-Suisun Sewer t; District, both in the City of Fairfield. Slightly beyond the San.Eranclsco. Bay but within freshwater marsh avian | habitat, the same Vestas turbine as proposed here was constructed at the Rio Viento RV Park and Campground near Rio Vista, California. This turbine, located on Sherman Island, in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta, became operational in 2007. The Rio Viento turbine was not subject to environmental review, and no pre- or post- construction monitoring was required (Halus Power Systems, 2012). L, i-The Anheusel-Busch turbine has a 1.5 megawatt rated capacity and is on a 320-foot tower, and became v operational in fall 2011. The four turbines at Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District have a total rated capacity of 200 kW. Towers are between SO and 100 feet tall. These turbines became operational in 2010. Fatality monitoring is not presently required at the Anheuser-Busch facility but remains a potential requirement. One year of post- construction monitoring was required at Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District (City of Fairfield Planning Department, pers. comm., 2012); however, fatality monitoring data is not readily available to the public for this project and was not obtained for review. o 10