National Wildlife Federation Outdoors Releases New Film To Promote Responsible Renewables Development

The following is courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation Outdoors:

New NWF Outdoors Film Urges Hunters to Advocate for Responsible Renewables Development on Public Lands 

DENVER (June 21, 2023) — National Wildlife Federation Outdoors has released a six-minute film about the need for sportsmen and women to advocate for responsible renewable energy development that safeguards wildlife, public lands, and sporting traditions. 

“Hunters and anglers are on the front lines of climate change. We know as well as anyone that we absolutely must transition away from fossil fuels,” said Aaron Kindle, director of sporting advocacy at the National Wildlife Federation. “But with all development comes impacts, so we also must advocate for responsible renewables development to ensure that it does not sacrifice America’s incredible fish and wildlife values. Anything less than doing right by these species and the landscapes they rely on would simply be robbing Peter to pay Paul. This film is a call to action for sportsmen and women to advocate for implementing the right balance.”

In addition to Kindle, the film features hunters and anglers Tony Wasley, president of the Wildlife Management Institute; Anna Ortega, wildlife biologist at the Western Wildlife Research Collective; and Craig Thompson, professor emeritus of engineering and environmental science in Wyoming. 

The film was released in conjunction with a new report issued by the National Wildlife Federation that outlines best practices to responsibly develop wind and solar energy on public lands while safeguarding wildlife, protecting communities and cultural resources, and expanding economic opportunities. The report follows the Biden Administration’s proposed rule to accelerate wind and solar development on public lands.

The report provides elected officials, state and federal agencies, and energy developers recommendations to minimize solar and wind energy developments’ potential harmful impacts while also swiftly scaling up their deployment to reach the nation’s climate and emissions-reduction goals. 

“Wind and solar development on our lands and waters will be part of the transition to clean sources of electricity, but we have to be smart about how we do this,” said Shannon Heyck-Williams, associate vice president of climate and energy at the National Wildlife Federation. “If we get this buildout right, we can reduce impacts to wildlife and take steps to address the concerns of affected communities, including Iow-income, rural and Indigenous people that are often left out of these discussions.”

Visit the National Wildlife Federation Media Center at NWF.org/News.

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The National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly-changing world. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.