Providing environmental consulting services in support of a solar farm at the Tallahassee International Airport

Tallahassee International Airport Solar Farm Environmental Consulting

With its proposed 350-acre (142-hectare), 40-megawatt solar farm located adjacent to the Apalachicola National Forest, FL Solar 4 wanted to be mindful of local species. To take the necessary precautions to eliminate or minimize ecological impacts to the greatest extent possible, they reached out to us to help.

We conducted environmental assessments, state and local permitting, construction training, surveys and relocation of listed species, biomonitoring, post-construction species monitoring, wetland delineations, associated habitat and land use mapping, and reporting. Key listed species that we identified and focused our subsequent relocation efforts on included the Florida pine snake (8 individuals with 47 other terrestrial snakes), gopher tortoises (20 individuals), and state-endangered bent golden aster (500 specimens). We also secured a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-issued Scientific Research Permit authorizing the use of the first-ever gopher tortoise gate guard in the state of Florida.

The gate guard, ecologically minded site clearing plans, and implemented species protection plans facilitated solar farm construction with minimal disruption to wildlife.