Wind farm plan could endanger hilltop home of rare butterfly

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press March 5, 2001.

By SAL CHAVEZ
Valley Press Staff Writer

BAKERSFIELD - A wind farm in the early stages of planning in Jawbone Canyon may disrupt a natural habitat for a rare form of butterfly, an expert says.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Field Associate Ken Davenport said the best known accessible habitat for the short-tailed black swallowtail, or Indra swallow tail, is in the hilltops of Jawbone Canyon, at elevations between 4,500 and 6,000 feet.

This is the same location where Florida Power & Light is in the early stages of developing a wind farm with more than 180 turbines that would generate 274 megawatts of power.

The short-tailed black swallowtail, a large butterfly with a wing span that averages three inches, is limited to three counties in California: Tulare, Kern and Inyo. The butterfly uses a carrot-like plant, Tauschia parishii, limited to the upper ridges and hilltops of Jawbone, for its larvae and feeds on the juniper Joshua tree, Davenport said.

Bulldozing the habitat would endanger the host plant and the adult butterfly, he said.

Davenport said he wants Florida Light & Power and the Kern County Board of Supervisors to be aware of this butterfly and to do extensive environmental impact studies before going ahead with the proposed project.

"(This) may be one place in nature where that species as a whole occurs commonly," Davenport said. "If lower hills are used there wouldn't be a problem."

Florida Power & Lighting Spokeswoman Carol Clawson said the proposed wind farm is still in the very early stages of planning.

An environmental impact study will be done this spring which will not only look at the rare butterfly but also other flora and fauna and other creatures that make the tops of Jawbone Canyon their home, she said.

"We have a good environmental record," Clawson said. The company is sensitive to concerns such as Davenport's and the survey will consider ways to do the project without disrupting the environment too much," she added.

Davenport said he hasn't contacted Florida Light & Power about his concerns, but he did pass the environmental information on to the Kern County Board of Supervisors. He hasn't yet received a response from the board.

"I'm hoping Florida Power will make some concessions," Davenport said. "Someone who knows the area can show (the company) the sensitive areas."

Davenport said elements such as the weather can determine the pattern of the butterfly. No matter where a turbine is set up, there will be an impact on the butterfly habitat, he said.

"There are other windy hilltops where the butterfly isn't around," he said. "And there are parts of the ridge where the host plant isn't found. It is possible to some degree to do wind farming and protect the butterfly."

Davenport, along with Jim Brock, were the first to catch the species of butterfly on May 14, 1976. Davenport said he was shocked to find the rare butterfly at the top of Jawbone and so common in the Butterbredt Peak area of Jawbone Canyon.

"The entire species isn't in danger, only this particular sub-species which is so rare," he said.

The female of the species stays near the host plant and the male hangs around the summit, ridges and rocky outcroppings.