Using the human footprint to measure ecological and socio-economic impacts of wind energy development

Agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are required to estimate potential impacts of development projects on federal lands in a timely manner. Complete analyses include consideration of both socio-economic and ecological systems. However, these agencies are often limited by a lack of resources to make full assessments, especially when addressing impacts on socio-economic systems. The human footprint provides a means to spatially model impacts of human disturbances on surrounding ecosystems. A modification of this model that includes socio-economic considerations in addition to ecological systems is needed. The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind energy development project was used to develop the framework for a human footprint model relevant to public land management in the western U.S. An aggregate ecological score is developed by combining data on wildlife species, soil erosion, and plant communities. The aggregate socio-economic score will consider changes to viewsheds, existing land uses, and impacts on surrounding communities (e.g., job creation). The final human influence index will model combined changes on ecological and socio-economic systems. The goal of this study is to use spatial data and ArcGIS to map the human footprint of wind energy development by estimating impacts on ecological and socio-economic systems, and to determine the optimal land use scenario given potential impacts and land management objectives.