A U.S. consensus-based collaborative formed in 1994, the National Wind Coordinating Committee (NWCC) identifies issues that affect the use of wind power, establishes dialogue among key stakeholders, and catalyzes activities to support the development of an environmentally, economically, and politically sustainable commercial market for wind power. NWCC members include representatives from electric utilities and support organizations, wind developers and equipment suppliers and support organizations, environmental organizations, state legislatures, state utility commissions, consumer advocacy offices, green power marketers, and local, state, tribal, and federal agencies, and agriculture and economic development organizations. RESOLVE, a non-profit environmental dispute resolution organization, provides a full range of facilitation services to create opportunities for NWCC members and other wind stakeholders to build long-term relationships, and to develop a number of landmark products resulting from significant negotiation and reflecting consensus of the Committee. Over 2,500 individuals from diverse sectors and wind resource areas across the country have participated in the NWCC's collaborative efforts.

Under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) can authorize take of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), such as nest removal, disturbance, and lethal take, if the take is compatible with the preservation of the golden eagle. The Service needs baseline information on the current abundance and trend of subpopulations of the golden eagle to properly manage take of the species. Annually during late summer of 2006-2012, we used distance sampling on approximately 17,500 km of aerial line transects to estimate golden eagle abundance in 4 Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs; North American Bird Conservation Initiative Monitoring Subcommitte 2007) that collectively cover about 80% of the species' range in the coterminous western United States. We estimated study area abundances of 24,509 (90% CI: 19,406-31,947) in 2006 and 21,715 (90% CI: 18,165-27,624) in 2012, including all breeding and non-breeding individuals. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in individual BCRs and the entire study area based on numbers of golden eagles counted along surveyed transects. We detected declines (90% credible intervals [CRIs] for trend coefficients <0.0) in numbers of golden eagles classified as juveniles in BCR 10 (Northern Rockies) and BCR 16 (Southern Rockies and Colorado Plateau) during 2006-2012. However, our results indicate the total abundance of golden eagles has not declined 2006-2012 in much of the western United States. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Researchers have suggested golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) populations may be declining in portions of their range. However, there are few baseline data describing golden eagle populations across their range in the western United States. We used aerial line transect distance methodology with a double‐observer modification to estimate golden eagle population numbers in 4 bird conservation regions of the western United States. We conducted surveys from 16 August to 8 September 2003, after most golden eagles had fledged and before fall migration. The goal of our sampling strategy was to provide >80% power (α = 0.1) to detect an annual rate of total population change >3% per year over a 20‐year period. We observed 172 golden eagles across 148 transects and estimated 27,392 golden eagles (90% CI: 21,352‐35,140) occurred in the study area during the late summer and early fall of 2003. Following the surveys, we used Monte Carlo simulation to determine the statistical power to detect trends in the golden eagle populations if yearly surveys were continued over a 20‐year monitoring period. The simulation indicated the desired power could be achieved under the current methodology and sample size. The methods utilized in this study can be implemented for other raptor species when population estimates that include nonbreeding members of a population are needed. The results of this study can be utilized by professionals to help manage golden eagle populations and to develop conservation strategies.

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