Offshore Wind Power Projects in the Great Lakes - Ministry of ...

Offshore wind power projects in the Great Lakes: Background and science considerations for fish and fish habitat
test hypotheses related to those uncertainties, monitoring the outcome of different practices, and
adjusting subsequent management actions based on the knowledge gained (Holling 1978;
Walters 1986; Walters & Holling 1990). In this way, an adaptive management approach provides
flexibility to modify a project and identify new mitigation measures in order to minimize or
prevent unacceptable environmental impacts identified through monitoring or upon periodic
review.
The general framework of an adaptive management approach is to define the desired outcome
and performance goals (i.e. acceptable environmental impacts) of a proposed project or action,
implement that action, conduct project monitoring to evaluate the results of that action against
the environmental performance goals, modify or adjust the action accordingly, and then re-
evaluate through additional monitoring. By repeating this cycle as the project moves forward,
proponents gain valuable knowledge to reduce uncertainty related to environmental impacts and
can therefore refine their actions to better reflect and meet the original objectives.
Within the context of offshore wind power project developments, adaptive management can be
seen a tool for learning about and addressing the uncertainties associated with the potential
environmental impacts of construction and operation. Thus, if the prospect of offshore wind
power production in the Great Lakes is realized, an adaptive management process will be
particularly valuable in the early stages of development and expansion when the first projects are
granted approval and turbine installation is initiated. This will allow developers to take
advantage of ongoing monitoring and research programmes to refine component designs or
technologies and to develop more effective mitigation alternatives to reduce the environmental
impact of future installations (U.S. Department of Energy 2009). In addition, as projects expand
from individual pilot or demonstration projects to commercial-scale developments and
eventually to a network of multiple projects, an adaptive management framework can also help
to resolve uncertainties related to larger scale effects and cumulative impacts.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee
(WTGAC) has outlined a tiered approach for assessing impacts to wildlife and their habitats
(Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee 2010) that can be readily adapted for offshore
wind developments in the Great Lakes. Reflecting the guiding principles of adaptive
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