Wildlife at Risk
Potential Impacts of Utility-Scale Wind Energy Development on Wildlife
Large-scale wind projects like the proposed Camino Madre Renewable Power Project introduce multiple stressors to local wildlife populations and their habitats. These impacts can include:
Habitat displacement and fragmentation: Construction of turbines, access roads, transmission lines, and associated infrastructure removes or alters native vegetation and creates barriers that can disrupt wildlife movement, migration corridors, and daily ranging behavior.
Direct injury or mortality: Collisions with rotating turbine blades and associated infrastructure (guy wires, towers) pose risks to birds and bats. Additionally, rapid air pressure changes near moving blades (barotrauma) can cause fatal internal injuries in bats, even without direct contact.
Behavioral disruption: Constant noise from turbines and construction/operational activities, visual obstruction from tall structures, and mechanical movement can alter foraging, breeding, roosting, and migration patterns. Nighttime FAA-required lighting may further disorient nocturnal species.
Increased human presence: During construction (with hundreds of workers and heavy equipment) and ongoing operations/maintenance, elevated human activity, vehicle traffic, and disturbance can cause wildlife to avoid otherwise suitable habitat (avoidance behavior) or increase stress levels.
Indirect effects: Road networks and increased access can facilitate the spread of invasive species, increase predation pressure, or lead to long-term habitat degradation.
While many of these effects are well-documented in scientific literature on wind energy, site-specific severity depends on project design, siting, mitigation measures, and local species ecology. Impacts are often greatest during construction and for species with specific habitat requirements or high sensitivity to disturbance.
A High Concentration of Golden Eagles within the Proposed Wind Farm
Notes after Filming Proposed Wind Farm Area July 5th 2026
We are not exaggerating when we call the wind turbines "Eagle Swatters". We took this picture in the heart of the proposed wind farm. These four-legged lattice towers are holding up the power lines running through the area.
Several of these 90ft tall towers have eagle nests. While we were filming, golden eagles circled above.
Can you imagine wind turbines that are seven times the height of the power towers? The golden eagles wouldn't stand a chance. Depending upon which angle the blade hit the eagle, some would be slammed into the ground and others launched away like a baseball. AZ Game and Fish required a "carcass count" for the MET towers. From what we could tell by the AZ Game and Fish response letter, they were asking Triple Oak to do the count. How do you count the number of dead eagles? ... and, why would Triple Oak allowed to do "self-policing" without oversight?
Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in the Project Area
The Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy identifies Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), prioritized into tiers based on vulnerability. The proposed project area (Yavapai Ranch / near Seligman in northern Yavapai County, within/adjacent to Prescott National Forest lands) overlaps with habitat for multiple SGCN species according to habitat suitability models and known occurrences.
Tier 1 Species (Critical or Highest Conservation Priority)
These are the rarest and most vulnerable species, often federally listed or facing extremely high risk of local extirpation. They require immediate, targeted conservation action.
Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes): Federally endangered. Historically and currently the focus of reintroduction efforts in northern Arizona (including areas near Seligman/Aubrey Valley). Dependent on prairie dog colonies.
Gunnison’s Prairie Dog (Cynomys gunnisoni): Primary prey base for black-footed ferrets. Sensitive to habitat fragmentation and disease.
Pale Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii pallescens): Sensitive to roost disturbance and habitat loss.
Tier 2 Species (Moderate Conservation Need)
These species face regional declines or significant threats and require proactive habitat management to prevent further decline.
The project area supports or has suitable habitat for at least nine Tier 2 species, with a notable concentration of bats:
Spotted Bat
Great Western Mastiff Bat
Allen’s Lappet-browed Bat
Hoary Bat
Western Red Bat
Pocketed Free-tailed Bat
Big Free-tailed Bat
Mexican Free-tailed Bat
Stephen’s Woodrat
Bats are of particular concern. Wind energy development is a documented source of significant bat mortality across North America, with estimates of hundreds of thousands of fatalities annually from blade collisions and barotrauma. Migratory, tree-roosting species such as the Hoary Bat are among the most frequently killed. The Hoary Bat is listed as a Tier 2 SGCN in Arizona and has been identified in habitat suitability models for the broader region.
Summary of Key Risks
The combination of tall turbines, extensive road networks, nighttime lighting, and long-term human activity in this remote, ecologically sensitive area has the potential to affect a wide range of wildlife. Species already identified as conservation priorities - especially bats and prairie dog-dependent mammals - face elevated risks from direct mortality, habitat loss, and disturbance.
Mitigation measures (such as curtailment during high-risk periods for bats, careful siting away from key habitats, and robust monitoring) can reduce but not eliminate these impacts. Full environmental review, including species-specific surveys and consultation with the Arizona Game & Fish Department and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, would be necessary to properly assess and address risks.
This page will be updated with additional studies, survey data, or project-specific mitigation proposals as they become available.
Wildlife in the Area of the Proposed Wind Farm Site
Click here to see real images of wildlife within sight of the wind farm project.