Pileated woodpecker, one of a pair that live in the Cookville area all year. Photo: Pam Novak, AWI

Barry Rothfuss, executive director of the Atlantic Wildlife Institute (AWI), is challenging NB Power’s assertion that there was no evidence of pileated woodpecker activity on the proposed Centre Village site of a big, gas/diesel generating plant when the utility chose it over an alternate site in Scoudouc.

“Well, recently it has been brought to our attention by someone actively working on site that there is evidence of Pileated activity here in Centre Village contrary to PROENERGY and Stantec’s assessment,” Rothfuss writes in a letter he e-mailed yesterday to Tantramar Mayor Andrew Black.

PROENERGY, the U.S. company that is planning to build and operate the gas plant, hired the environmental consulting firm Stantec to conduct assessments of the Centre Village site as well as one in the Scoudouc Industrial Park.

According to documents filed with environmental regulators, Stantec discovered evidence of pileated woodpecker nests in Scoudouc, but none in Centre Village.

In its two-page “Location Analysis” released last week, NB Power points to the absence of pileated woodpecker activity in the Centre Village area as one of the main reasons it chose the site over the one in Scoudouc.

But Rothfuss says he has photos to prove NB Power is wrong.

Centre Village photos

Photo from Centre Village site showing pileated woodpecker nesting cavity as well as feeding holes

In his e-mail to Mayor Black, Rothfuss includes a photo from the proposed Centre Village site showing a pileated woodpecker nesting cavity as well as feeding holes.

He writes that he has been provided with GPS coordinates showing the location of the tree in the photo.

“We have had two provincial professionals verify the photos suggesting Pileated Woodpecker activity,” he adds.

“And this morning we received an image of a tree cut down that also had woodpecker activity on the section where the new road has been cut in for water testing.”

Leaning tree shows woodpecker holes. The tree was cut to make way for an access road into the Centre Village site

In his letter to Black, Rothfuss points out that under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, anyone who wishes to remove a pileated woodpecker nest would have to wait up to three years (36 months) to determine how active the nest is and whether it could be removed through an assessment process.

He explains that the pileated woodpecker is considered a keystone species important for the survival of other birds and animals.

“Their cavity excavating abilities not only allows them to nest, but for other species to use their tree cavities for nesting as well, e.g. owls, ducks, and mammals,” he writes.

Rothfuss says there are a variety of woodpecker species in the area around Centre Village and Cookville where AWI is located.

He adds that woodpecker activity in any given area can be determined only through proper surveys and by measuring tree cavities.

His letter says that the environmental impact assessment process is merely an exercise in checking boxes with no clearly defined verification or remedial measures.

“It stands to reason you’ll find more pileated woodpeckers in a wilderness area than in an industrial park if you open your eyes,” he told Warktimes.

“The indiscriminate habitat destruction with temporary roads before project approval is unforgivable,” his letter concludes, referring to the access road for water testing that PROENERGY began building on October 1st.

To read his letter to Mayor Black, click here.

For more detailed information about regulations to protect migratory birds, click here.

When asked to comment, Chris Evans, VP Marketing for PROENERGY in Houston, Texas responded with this e-mail message: “Thank you for reaching out to PROENERGY. We will not comment during this phase of the project.”

Elizabeth Fraser of NB Power  e-mailed to say: “Thank you for reaching out. Since ProEnergy is the developer for this project, we recommend contacting them for more information.”

Jennifer McPhail of Stantec Consulting e-mailed to say: “Thank you for your email.  I have forwarded your request to PROENERGY.”

Pileated woodpecker in Cookville area. Photo: Pam Novak, AWI