The construction and operation of AEP facilities have the potential to affect biodiversity
if not well-managed. For example, the installation of pollution control equipment
and associated landfills has resulted in the loss of wetland and riparian areas;
however, these losses have been mitigated. Some of our hydroelectric facilities
operate on waters considered to be of high biodiversity or ecological value. We
have addressed potential impacts through installation of fish ladders and by shutting
down operations during spawning season.
On the flip side, many of AEP's power plants and transmission corridor projects
are recognized for the habitat they support. Eight power plants and two transmission
line corridor projects were recertified by the Wildlife Habitat Council last year as Wildlife at Work programs.
Flint Creek Plant in Arkansas received a special award for its pollinator protection
efforts.
AEP's investments in forestry not only benefit us by providing carbon storage, they
also help to avoid deforestation and provide thriving habitats for endangered species.
In the United States, AEP partnered with the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and The Conservation Fund to restore bottomland hardwood
forests in the lower Mississippi River Valley. The project involved more than 18,000
acres and planting more than 3 million bottomland hardwood seedlings. They will
provide habitat for local waterfowl, shorebirds and neo-tropical migratory birds,
as well as white-tail deer, cottontail rabbits, river otters and many others.
