Main Goal
Research on the bird-powerline relationship in order to make the Romanian electricity network wildlife friendly.
Objectives
- to introduce new issues in the legislation
- to force electricity companies do the mitigation work
- to control the future placement of Wind Turbines in Romania
- to identify the “hot-spots” in matter of electrocution and collision in the country (most problematic areas and pylons);
- to put pressure on authorities to apply the “poluter pays” principle for this problem;
- to propose cost effective solutions for the mitigation of the problem in Romania , in collaboration with electricity companies – based on experience of other countries;
- to place artificial nests on high-voltage power-lines – this is a very safe nesting place for endangered species as no human contact is possible ex. Saker falcon
Activities, results
- In 2003 we signed an agreement with the local Electricity Company form Tg.-Mures to collaborate in finding the solutions for mitigation of electrocution;
- We managed to find some financing for this problem (as part of a GEF SGP project) – in Dumbravioara (a village with large Stork population) the first medium-voltage powerline isolations in Romania will be made this summer;
- The most dangerous pylon types were identified by members in the field; we find mitigation methods in the literature and presented them to the Electricity Company;
- Powerline corridors were regularly checked, the results are in a data-base. In the last 2 years we controlled 482 power poles (some of them regularly). Under these poles we found 33 dead birds, from 13 species. Another 23 electrocuted birds were found by Milvus members, the number of species goes up to 16;
- The “Guide for making and mounting special platforms for White Stork nests on electric networks” were republished (second edition) in 2004.
