A Special Session of the 75^th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference will focus on one of the most pressing current issues in wildlife management ? the ecological impacts of renewable energy development. Across North America, political, economic, and public pressures are driving biofuels, solar, wind, and other renewable energy technologies. The rapid advance of some of these energy sources is occurring in the absence of standards for mitigating wildlife impacts. One of four concurrent Special Sessions at the 75^th North American, "What Does Green Really Mean?? Renewable Energy Implications for Wildlife" will be held at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, March 24, at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Increasing national emphasis on renewable energy development has been fueled, in part, by the assumption that non-carbon-based energy sources entail little or no negative environmental impact. However, accumulating evidence indicates that scientists and policy makers may have underestimated environmental consequences of some green energy initiatives. Given that the expansion of renewable energy has been identified as a top priority of the current administration, and?several states have already established "renewable portfolio standards," natural resource managers must be aware of the impacts that industrial-scale installation of renewable energy projects pose to fish and wildlife population and their habitats.

This Special? Session will explore the effects of current and future renewable energy projects on fish and wildlife habitat and identify strategies to mitigate or minimize those effects. It will further address current policy and regulatory mandates driving the utility industry to invest in wind farms, biofuel production, solar facilities and geothermal plants.

Expert presenters, representing national conservation organizations and state and federal agencies, will address the most pressing issues associated with renewable energy and wildlife, including:

• biofuels and wind energy;
• geographic data bases for assessing and avoiding wildlife impacts of renewable energy;
• implications of energy transmission development;
• renewable energy implications for prairie grouse;
• impacts on bats; and
• new Interior Department wind energy-development guidelines.

Session co-chairs and organizers are Rob Manes, The Nature Conservancy, Kansas, and John Emmerich, Wyoming Game and Fish Department. See the Conference section of our site for more?information about other concurrent special sessions and events that will take place at the 75^th North American Conference at the Milwaukee Hilton City Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.