Jonathan Ernst, PlanetArk 2 Apr 09;
SAN FRANCISCO - U.S. environmental groups on Wednesday published online maps of the American West with vast areas that they said should be off-limits for renewable energy projects begun by the Obama administration.
President Barack Obama's plan to ramp up the country's renewable energy infrastructure has sparked some concerns among environmentalists who fear that a boom in solar and wind energy could endanger wildlife.
The western United States is home to sunny deserts and windy plains but also many endangered or threatened species.
"Developers have regularly come to me and said please, tell me where we should not go," said Johanna Wald, senior attorney for the National Resources Defense Council, which was one of two groups to issue the maps with "no-go" areas.
The National Audubon Society was the other.
The maps cover about half the continental United States and show legally prohibited sites, such as national parks, and areas that are key wildlife habitats -- where environmentalists might put up a fight with developers.
For instance, Audubon has mapped breeding areas for sage-grouse in Wyoming.
Wald, however, added that the maps were only a first step for developers and that other areas could be declared off limits. "We are not greenlighting development in areas that are left on our map."
In early March, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein said she would introduce legislation to protect 600,000 acres of former railroad lands from development, setting the stage for a potential battle with developers.
The maps were developed with funds from Google Inc's philanthropic arm, google.org. They can be found here and work with the Google Earth program.
(Editing by Paul Simao)
