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~STED PRACTICES FOR RAPTOR PROTECTION ON POINERLINES
<br />~or~ western utilities/ with the assistance of the Edison E/ec rric Insr,tute, coordinated
<br />rs sal and State agencies and other interested groups2 ro study the problems associated with
<br />cutting on powerlines. lr was determined that grounding practices on dstnbuuon and vans•
<br />r through 69 kV along with certain cunfigurarians of transformer banks, fused cutouts, ligh rmng
<br />phase spacings could be a substantial cause of rvp for deaths. Subseyurnr sb,d,es have proved
<br />problem lies more with engineering expertise than with a biological approach.
<br />rob/em appears to be greater in the western United Stares - prirnarrly Colorado. /daho,
<br />~ing -because the eagle population is greater there. Rrcrnr srud,rs ISO documrnr e/rcrro, uuon
<br />crows, ravens, wild turkeys and other birds of prey, but current rvrdrna~ slru ws that 90a of
<br />are golden eay/es. This /OSS of eag/es is signilican t; but pesticide cunrarnwahuni, lugs o/ hab,rdt,
<br />ash the most threatening problems ro raptors in general. The /a rrer two mortality /actors, wh,ch
<br />i use patterns and irresponsible use of /firearms, are o! partrcu/ar importance [o eag/e
<br />the lnrerior has coordinated the counting o/ eagle e/ecrrocuripns m the Umred Sra res in
<br />ctric utility industry and various Stare and private conservation ayencres, Snicr ,nrua [ion pl [hes
<br />500 raptors, principally golden eagles, have been Pound at me base o/power poles. A number
<br />attributed ro other causer including diseases, pa,soning and ,rrespons,ule use of lrrrarms. The
<br />of the eagles electrocuted were young, inexperienced go/Uen eagles that were /use learning ro
<br />trained the ski/l and precrsion necessary to negotiate asafe /and,ng or take~or/ troth a powerl,ne
<br />r more conductors, transformer banks, fused cutouts or other equipment necessary to transmit
<br />rors that contribute to rapmr elecvocu Lions, it +s necessary to know some things about the
<br />there they live and nest, and their art of /lying. fag/es and hawks prefer ro perch on eleva red
<br />might be observed over a wide radius and where air currents are mare fie voraule fur fhgh r.
<br />le perch, /or instance, rs more open one where the crossarm rs pe. aendicular ro the prevailing
<br />msiderable huh ring tern rory. The use of~owerhne Holes as perch sires v.,nrs according to
<br />abundance o/ prey. Pp wer/,nes that traverse steep and broken rrrram, vrnrrr many natural
<br />r li R/e use compare d use inT bioad valleys vin err natural perch vtes are absent.
<br />r"l~dunng tTie winter±ng~period when peak populations o/eayles and hawks are present At
<br />as well as migrants, tend ro concentra to in noun rein valleys, ad/acrnr too rn,llS and grasslands
<br />most abundant and avoiia6le. During rhrs penbd, powerline poles roceivr heavy use as perches,
<br />gs an crossarms and castings beneaN the po/es. losses may oe expected rf lines m these areas
<br />t or modified.
<br />'s p/ many, including Or. Richard R. 0lendoril, Bureau of Land Manayement (BLM),
<br />Erwin L. Boeker, U. S. Fish & Wildli/e Service, Denver, Ca/orado. and Mr. Mor/vn W. Ne/son,
<br />~ birds of prey and Birdso(-Prey Consultant to the /daho Power Company, more hes become
<br />s habits and habitats, This information has been used by rhr r/ec lni urdiry ~ndw try ro pinpoint
<br />/iminate the prob/em through design changes on certain portions of ex+stmg, as well as /uture,
<br />r, the Rural Elec rrilicarion Administration IREAI issued Builehn 61-10 which was titled
<br />Y Go/den Eagles Isom Power/fines". This bu(le tin dealt with the causes of rap rot a/ectrocuhons
<br />practices that made it difficu/t for large birds of prey to fly away from or roast on powerline
<br />without simultaneously contacting an energized tonducoor and a ground, rherroy causing a
<br />/ecrrocurion. With this bu/ledn, the REA speci tied that all coopers ri ves would change grounding
<br />ces to eliminate the possibility of electrocution. Some of the sugyesred des,gns, a/terarions and
<br />ches can be seen in Exhibits 1 through 4 in the Appendix. Suggestions for increasing phase
<br />ndard construction were included. Exhibit No. 2 shows that pp/r ground woes coo/d De gapped
<br />ng protection to are powerline. This procedure eliminates a posrrive ground during normal
<br />hus minimizing the possibility of simultaneous contact between an energized conductor and
<br />tded that all existing lines be altered, bur it was impl,ed that pre/erred poles would be modil+ed
<br />bons at specific locations could be documented and proved.
<br />y, Pacific Gas & Elec rric Company, Pacific Power& Light Company, Pub/~c Service Company
<br />~as& Electric, Utah Power& LightCompany.
<br />Ni~ Netiona/Audubon Society, Natrona/Wi/d/file Federation, Rural E/rcrritica rion
<br />F, dWi/d/ife Service,
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<br />2f O U ~~
<br />/~O ~ 1- S'
<br />:1 /' C_ r ti
<br />u Sc
<br />IiI81T No. I
<br />Jtane 1995 Jrme 1995
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