Resolution 2023-08
WHEREAS, the impacts of climate change are serious and are escalating for wildlife, communities, and the economy; and
WHEREAS, solar renewable energy is a technologically and economically feasible solution and becoming a rapidly increasing part of our energy mix; and
WHEREAS, despite some positive steps by certain states, tribes, territories, regions, cities, and localities, current commitments to renewable energy generation are not sufficient to reach emission reduction goals; and
WHEREAS, solar development is heavily reliant on existing infrastructure and the nation’s current transmission infrastructure is in dire need of upgrades and expansion to handle increased energy production and demand; and
WHEREAS, a substantial additional build out of renewable energy at a rapid pace beyond what is occurring currently is needed to meet emission reduction goals and avert calamitous consequences to wildlife and people; and
WHEREAS, the infrastructure necessary for solar development and energy transmission requires an extensive footprint and may include extensive fencing that can fragment and degrade habitat and wildlife connectivity corridors which often span public, private, and tribal lands; and
WHEREAS, recent scientific research has found that poorly sited utility-scale solar development can negatively impact wildlife populations, connectivity, and surrounding habitat—including big game migration corridors and winter range on public and private lands—interfere directly and indirectly with seasonal movements, and irreversibly fragments quality habitats, conflicts with conservation of other species, and disturbs nearby water resources, aquatic habitat functions, hunting, fishing, other outdoor recreation opportunities, and cultural and indigenous resources; and
WHEREAS, critical habitat in certain locations cannot be developed without irreparable damage to sensitive species and cannot be recreated elsewhere making it impossible to be mitigated; and
WHEREAS, there is ample opportunity for rooftop and other distributed solar to be built on already developed land that would have little or no impact on wildlife and their habitats; and
WHEREAS, historically, overburdened/frontline communities have not had direct consultation or the opportunity to engage in the permitting process and are disproportionately impacted by these projects.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its Annual meeting assembled June 21-24, 2023, supports regional, city, and local policies that promote the wildlife-responsible development of renewable energy such as solar including distributed solar to address climate change with priority given where strategic plans exist to upgrade or expand needed transmission infrastructure; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation promotes policies and practices that ensure that solar renewable energy infrastructure development is done in a manner that is protective of wildlife and habitat, avoiding and minimizing impacts to wildlife and their habitat, and that takes transmission grid stability into account, promoting policies and practices including the reviews required under applicable statutes like the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Endangered Species Act that protect wildlife, provide opportunities for public engagement, and blend compatible habitat wherever possible, mitigating for any impacts to wildlife and habitat that cannot be avoided or minimized, these projects should be durable in nature: meaning the quality of such projects being able to last a long time without becoming damaged or lost; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a focus is given to critical habitats and migration corridors to protect them from conversion and fragmentation by evaluating alternative sites or design considerations through a least conflict solar siting effort such as avoiding high value forest, cropland, grasslands, habitat, cultural resources, and sensitive species lands, that drives development away from critical wildlife habitat and connectivity corridors, and clearly identifies agreeable locations for development through early collaboration between local and federal solar permitting agencies, developers, and state and federal wildlife agencies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation promotes policies to ensure strategic criteria are developed for least conflict solar siting so projects on public and private lands are advanced by federal, state, and local agencies and promote appropriate legislation to avoid or minimize cumulative impacts to sensitive fish and wildlife habitats, water, cultural and indigenous resources, and recreational opportunities, including the prioritization of solar on built infrastructure, such as parking lots, rooftops, and other distributed solar on already developed land; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that solar be developed involving meaningful early tribal consultation; such that if tribal historical and cultural values and places are in danger of being irreplaceably lost due to renewable energy development then other alternatives should be prioritized; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that solar projects should be advanced only with the early and thorough communication and consultation with local, frontline communities and with specific attention to the project’s impacts to environmental justice communities, ensuring adequate time for review, input and objection to proposed development; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that utility scale solar energy development alternative design configurations be promoted to allow for the passage of local wildlife and the protection of habitat or consider dual-use or agrivoltaic alternatives.