We are proud of the progress that has been made in our landscape this past year and the bright future ahead. None of this could be possible without the hard work and time commitment from all of you, including both landowners dedicated to conservation and partnering organizations and agencies.
Read MoreThe Conservation Law Center seeks applications for a Program Coordinator to join our team based in the beautiful Midwestern college town of Bloomington, Indiana. This is an exciting opportunity to join an organization and broad partnership focused on providing solutions to some of the most important and challenging conservation and environmental issues in Indiana. The Coordinator will work with a diverse group of public and private partners to achieve various natural resource conservation goals within the Southern Indiana Sentinel Landscape geographic boundaries. These goals include land and soil conservation, water quality and riparian corridors, threatened and endangered species, and the critical goal of maintaining military readiness in southern Indiana’s four defense bases.
Read MoreThe designation of more than 3.5 million acres in southern Indiana as a Sentinel Landscape will protect critical habitats and species, conserve natural resources, strengthen military readiness, and help the state prepare for environmental change. Southern Indiana is one of 3 new additions to the federal program, bringing the total to 10 nationwide.
Bats are often still seen as pests or disease spreaders but they actually play important roles in pollination and pest control. Here in Indiana they are especially helpful with pest control as bats can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes an hour. That not only protests us from these pests, but also helps farmers protect their crops.
Read MoreIn an important decision, the court has ruled for the bats, setting a precedent which will mean more careful consideration of the environmental impacts of all federal decisions.
Read MoreJeff Hyman, Bill Weeks, and CLC are embarking on our second year arguing tor sufficient protection of the Endangered Indiana Bat from Wind Turbines. This article sums up our research and describes a possible solution to reduce the impact of increased wind energy on the Indiana Bat and other bat and bird species.
Read MoreWe are arguing in court that the endangered Indiana bat deserves more protection than it is getting in the process for approving wind energy installations. We came across a study that concluded that the protections we would like to see implemented will cost about 1 percent of the power the wind turbines can generate. Wind turbines produce relatively little power from gentle breezes. Bats, on the other hand, avoid flying when the wind blows at the speed it takes to generate wind power efficiently.
Read MoreThe CLC recently submitted comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Beech Ridge Energy's Draft Habitat Conservation Plan and the Service’s associated Draft Environmental Impact Statement. BRE's 66-turbine wind facility in West Virginia currently operates under a court-ordered restricted schedule.
Read MoreThe CLC submitted comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Buckeye Wind LLC's application for an Incidental Take Permit for the federally endangered Indiana Bat. Buckeye Wind proposes to build a 100-turbine wind facility in Champaign County, OH, in an area that overlaps with the migration path of Indiana bats and their habitat.
Read MoreRenewable energy sources such as wind and solar are critical components of our national strategy to fend off climate change, reduce pollution, and promote energy independence.
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