Sugar Creek Wind One LLC

PUBLIC NOTICE

Pursuant to Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 1080 of the Illinois Administrative Code, notice is hereby given that Sugar Creek Wind One LLC (Sugar Creek Wind or the Applicant), is proposing to construct the Sugar Creek Wind Project in Logan County, Illinois. The Project is anticipated to be in operation for at least 30 years. As such, Sugar Creek Wind has prepared a Conservation Plan and applied for an incidental take authorization for the following state-listed species: Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis). The application is based upon potential impacts resulting from the operation of the Sugar Creek Wind Project in Logan County, Illinois.

1. The mailing address for Sugar Creek Wind One LLC is: 354 Davis Road, Oakville, Ontario, Canada L6J 2X1.

2. The Sugar Creek Wind Project is located approximately 1.5 miles northeast of Middletown, Illinois (Township 20N, Range 4W, Sections 24-36, Township 19N, Range 4W, Sections 1-6, 9-11, Township 19N, Range 3W, Section 6, Township 20N, Range 3W, Sections 19, 30-31).

3. Sugar Creek Wind is requesting incidental take authorization due to potential impacts to Indiana bat and northern long-eared bat a result of operation of the project.

4. Conservation measures to be implemented by Sugar Creek Wind to avoid or minimize impacts to species identified in this Conservation Plan include operational adjustments that dictate when turbines are feathered (i.e., to reduce the blade angle to the wind to slow or stop the turbine from spinning). The hub will not be locked, but the blades will be feathered to the wind such that rpm will be minimal when wind speeds are below the cut-in speed. The turbines will be feathered below the manufacturer’s cut-in speed (3.0 m/s) from sunset to sunrise during the spring migration and summer maternity period (March 15 to July 31) and during late fall (October 15 through November 15) when temperatures are above 40°F. Between August 1 and October 15, when temperatures are above 50°F at night, the cut-in speed will be raised to 5.0 m/s at all turbines. The feathering/cut-in process will be computer-controlled and based on 10-minute rolling average wind speed data. Accordingly, turbines will cut in or feather throughout the night as the wind speed fluctuates above and below the specified cut-in speeds. A mitigation plan for bat species has been developed through consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for protection and management of habitat for the listed bats.

5. A copy of the Conservation Plan is available for review at the Lincoln Public Library located at 725 Pekin St, Lincoln, IL 62656. A copy of the Conservation Plan is available online at: https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/naturalheritage/permits/Pages/Incidental-Take-Authorizations.aspx  (ITA #221).

6. Comments should be directed to: Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Resource Conservation, Incidental Take Coordinator, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, Illinois 62702-1271 and/or submitted via e-mail to DNR.ITAcoordinator@illinois.gov.

7. The comment period closes 30 days after the final publication of this notice that first appeared in the Breeze Courier and the Lincoln Courier in Lincoln on February 1st, 2022. The final publication is scheduled for February 16th, 2022. Therefore, the comment period closes on March 16th, 2022.

2/1/2022