"Intersect's turnaround shows the important role that wildlife agencies -- and local volunteer experts like myself -- play in keeping companies honest," Swaim added on Wednesday. "Had watchdogs not sounded the alarm about the proposed project's serious environmental damage, the company would not have compensated for the loss of important, threatened native Californian species and their habitats.
Intersect Power officials, as well as supporters such as the local Sierra Club chapter, argue that the location and positioning were carefully chosen with habitat protection in mind.
"The Aramis project site was selected on its particular plot of land because of its low potential for harm to sensitive species and its high potential for local benefits," Mitchell said.