Grassland Bird Trust, Inc. (GBT) and Boralex Inc. announce that they have entered into an agreement supporting long-term grassland bird habitat conservation efforts in Washington County alongside the responsible development of the renewable energy, Fort Edward Solar Project.
The agreement reflects more than five years of ongoing discussion between the organizations regarding grassland bird conservation, renewable energy development, and the importance of balancing environmental stewardship with private property rights.
As part of the agreement, Fort Edward Solar will provide funding to support GBT’s mission to permanently protect habitat for grassland bird species in the Washington County Grassland Bird Conservation Center. The funding will support land acquisition efforts designed to deliver measurable conservation outcomes for grassland bird species and the broader grassland ecosystem.
Throughout the development process, Fort Edward Solar, Boralex and GBT worked together to review habitat conditions, discuss mitigation strategies, and identify opportunities to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts to grassland bird species consistent with applicable state requirements and conservation objectives.
In connection with this agreement, GBT has confirmed that its concerns regarding grassland bird mitigation associated with the project have been addressed through the agreed-upon framework and has withdrawn its pending appeal related to the project’s permitting process.
The agreement also reflects a shared recognition of the importance of working collaboratively with local landowners and advancing conservation solutions that respect private property rights while supporting environmental stewardship and responsible renewable energy development.
Both organizations expressed their commitment to continued coordination regarding habitat conservation and stewardship efforts associated with the project area.
About Grassland Bird Trust
The Grassland Bird Trust, Inc. (GBT), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 2010, protects critical and vanishing grassland habitat for endangered, threatened, and rapidly declining grassland birds including American Kestrels, Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, threatened Northern Harriers, and endangered Short-eared Owls. Since 1970, 53% of North American grassland birds have disappeared. GBT’s service area is 102,000 acres in the New York State DEC-designated Washington County Grassland Bird Conservation Center (GBCC) that extends from southern Washington County north to the Adirondack Mountains. The Audubon-designated Fort Edward Grasslands Important Bird Area and the New York Natural Heritage Program Raptor Winter Concentration Area are located in the heart of the Washington County GBCC, where GBT owns and manages 153 acres. For more information, visit www.grasslandbirdtrust.org/
About Boralex
At Boralex, we have been providing affordable renewable energy accessible to everyone for over 35 years. As a leader in the Canadian market and France’s largest independent producer of onshore wind power, we also have facilities in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Over the past five years, our installed capacity has increased by more than 50%, reaching 3,783 MW as at March 31, 2026. We are developing a portfolio of projects in development and construction of 8.3 GW in wind, solar and BESS projects, guided by our values and our corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach. Recognized as Best Corporate Citizen in Canada by Corporate Knights, Boralex is actively participating in the fight against global warming. Thanks to our fearlessness, our discipline, our expertise and our diversity, we continue to be an industry leader. Boralex’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BLX.