Audubon California is concerned with the Panoche Valley Solar Farm proposal due to the unavoidable and extensive impacts to wildlife habitat and bird species associated with such a development. Panoche Valley is an area that has been designated by Audubon California as an Important Bird Area (IBA), and is recognized by the National Audubon Society and Birdlife International as an Important Bird Area of Global Significance.

The Important Bird Areas program, administered in the United States by the National Audubon Society, is part of an international effort to designate and support conservation efforts at sites that provide significant breeding, wintering, or migratory habitats for specific species or concentrations of birds. Sites are identified based on standardized criteria and supporting data. Information about this Important Bird Area may be found at http://ca.audubon.org//iba/index.php.

The Panoche Valley IBA was designated as such because it contains more than twelve sensitive bird species and in particular a significant portion of the global population of wintering Mountain Plovers. Mountain Plovers are currently proposed for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act and are listed as a California Bird Species of Special Concern (BSSC). Panoche Valley is notable for its high concentrations of wintering raptors and enormous sparrow flocks, which join a resident population of Burrowing Owl (BSSC) and other grassland species. Grasshopper Sparrow and Short-eared Owl breed here (both BSSC), and both of these species have been virtually eliminated as nesters elsewhere in the San Joaquin Valley.

Winter brings Mountain Plover to the grazed grasslands on the valley floor, one of the few areas of the state where this species still winters in large numbers. The interior canescens race of Sage Sparrow (Audubon watchlist) breeds here, near the northern limit of its isolated San Joaquin Valley range. Long-billed Curlew (Audubon watchlist) commonly winters here. Other BSSC species that are regularly observed in Panoche Valley grasslands include Northern Harrier and Loggerhead Shrike. Other birds of prey commonly observed include Prairie Falcon, White-tailed Kite and Golden Eagle (California Fully Protected Species).
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Within the boundaries of the Panoche Hills are two Wilderness Study Areas and two Areas of Critical Environmental Concern.  The main road through the Panoche Hills bisects the two WSA's. The BLM manages the WSA's to maintain their wilderness qualities - vehicle travel off of existing routes is not allowed, and there are restrictions on the amount and extent of various human activities. The ACEC's were established in recognition of the rare species habitat and in recognition of the significant fossil record as the Panoche Hills house significant fossil remains, both vertebrate and invertebrate.

Photos of the Blunt Nosed Leopard Lizard are courtesy of Michael F. Westphal, Ecologist, Bureau of Land Management and the photo of the San Joaquin Kit Fox is courtesy of Howard Clark - Facebook San Joaquin Kit Fox http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Joaquin-kit-fox/81358943675?v=app_2373072738