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2024.12.24（2025.03.14 更新）
Crisis for the only Golden Eagle habitat in the Oshima Peninsula
報告
専門度：
Figure 1: Image showing the overlap between the planned project site, protection forest, and specific plant community (created by NACS-J via Google Earth).
テーマ：生息環境保全
フィールド：森林
Opinion Paper Submitted Requesting Termination of Hokkaido’s Onshore Wind Power Project
- The Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J) has submitted an opinion paper requesting the cancellation of the proposed Hiyama Onshore Wind Farm Project (Operator: Japan Wind Service Co., Ltd.) in response to its environmental impact assessment report.
- The planned site is the only habitat for the critically endangered Golden Eagle in the Oshima Peninsula, and the project could result in fatal collisions with wind turbines.
- Almost the entire project site is designated as a protection forest for soil run-off prevention, and regulations in Hokkaido state that wind power facilities should not be encouraged in such areas.
- The boundaries of the planned site lack roads, meaning that large-scale land-use changes would be necessary, potentially leading to further loss of nationally significant natural forests and grasslands.
The Nature Conservation Society of Japan (Chairman: Toshiyuki TSUCHIYA) has submitted an opinion paper calling for the cancellation of the proposed Hiyama Onshore Wind Farm Project (Operator: Japan Wind Service Co., Ltd., maximum capacity: 240,000 kW, up to 40 wind turbines) in response to its environmental assessment report.
The planned project site is the only habitat for the Golden Eagle population in the Oshima Peninsula and is almost entirely designated as a protection forest for soil run-off prevention. Additionally, the site consists mainly of natural vegetation , making the project highly inappropriate.
Full text of the submitted opinion paper (in Japanese, redirects to NACS-J document archive).
Key Points of the Opinion Paper
1. Significant impact on populations of the endangered Golden Eagles and Mountain Hawks
The planned project site and its surrounding area are home to the Golden Eagle and Mountain Hawk-Eagle, both designated as nationally rare species of wild fauna in Japan. In particular, the confirmed Golden Eagle population in Hokkaido is extremely small and on the verge of extinction. The planned site is the only habitat for Golden Eagles in the Oshima Peninsula, and the construction of wind turbines poses a high risk of fatal collisions (bird strikes) and habitat abandonment.
2. Planned project site is almost entirely a Protection Forest for soil run-off prevention
Almost the entire planned project site is designated as a Protection Forest (Figure 1), with some areas classified as wildlife protection zones by Hokkaido. According to Hokkaido’s “Environmental Consideration Standards for Setting Promotion Areas for Regional Decarbonization Projects,” Protection Forests and wildlife protection areas should not be used for wind power facility development.
Furthermore, a large portion of the planned site is designated as a Protection Forest for soil run-off prevention, and land-use changes required for the project could increase the risk of landslides.
3. Significant impact on nationally important natural forests and grasslands
The planned project site significantly overlaps with natural forests and grasslands, as well as the specific plant communities recognized by the Ministry of the Environment (Figure 1).
Additionally, no roads or other ways of access exist along the boundary of the project site, meaning that major land-use changes would be required for the project on top of the proposed area. This would likely result in large-scale deforestation, which is unacceptable from a Nature Positive perspective. Given these severe environmental impacts, the project should not be implemented.
Reference
About the Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J)
Founded in 1951, the Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J) is one of the oldest nature conservation organizations in Japan, dedicated to protecting nature and biodiversity.
NACS-J’s activities began with the conservation of Oze’s natural environment during a dam construction project and later contributed to the World Natural Heritage registrations of Yakushima, Ogasawara, and Shirakami-Sanchi.
Today, the organization continues to protect vulnerable natural environments across Japan with the mission, “Harnessing the Power of Nature for a Brighter Future.”
NACS-J envisions a society where people and nature coexist harmoniously, enabling people of all generations, from infants to the elderly, to live happily surrounded by nature.
The organization conducts nationwide surveys, conservation projects, and other initiatives to make use of natural resources, spanning from mountains to the ocean.