Abstract
Mount Wachusett Community College ("MWCC") has proposed the construction of a one- or two-turbine wind project on its campus in Gardner (Worcester County), Massachusetts. As part of the environmental assessment of this proposal, North East Ecological Services (NEES) was contracted to conduct a Phase I Bat Risk Assessment. The purpose of the risk assessment was to determine the potential for habitat loss and collision mortality to bats from the construction and operation of the MWCC wind project. The risk assessment involved 1) an on-site evaluation to determine habitat features that may be predictive of bat usage, including roosting habitat, foraging habitat, and hibernacula; 2) a literature search to determine known populations of bats near the project site; and 3) consultation with appropriate MADFW and US Fish and Wildlife Service biologists to determine the presence of protected species or hibernacula near the project site.