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THE VICTORY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSN., INC.

Your local electric cooperative. Serving you since 1945.

 

 

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Dodge City, KS, USA
1-800-279-7915
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  1. Power 101
  2. Safety Resources
  3. Wildlife Protection

Wildlife Protection

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Birds-1.jpg

What do birds, squirrels and power outages have in common? You might initially think nothing. Unfortunately, animals are one of the top causes of power outages. To ensure safe, reliable power delivery, and protect wildlife, Victory Electric has gone to great lengths to keep animals away from electricity and to improve reliability for members. At the same time, Victory Electric has a policy to attempt to prevent electrocutions for all wildlife species including birds of prey, whooping cranes, raccoons, squirrels, snakes, and many small bird species with the goal of protecting valuable wildlife resources and improving electric system reliability.

squirrel-1.jpgA variety of birds use utility structures without consequence, however, large birds such as owls, hawks and whooping cranes are at greater risk of electrocution on utility structures. Electrocuted birds may interrupt electric service, start fires, and cause significant equipment damage. In addition, most birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, making it illegal to “take” these protected species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has encouraged individual electric utilities to develop Avian Protection Plans (APP) to monitor electrocutions and collisions and manage them to prevent future incidence.

Victory Electric developed an APP and we are committed to the protection of migratory birds. This includes balancing the goal of providing reliable electric service in a cost effective manner with the regulatory requirements protecting avian species, as well as the need to obtain and comply with all necessary permits, monitor incidents of avian mortality, and make reasonable efforts to construct and alter infrastructure to reduce the incidence of avian mortality.

It’s not easy to stay a step ahead of the birds. Victory Electric installs bird flight diverters as well as raptor deterrent triangles help deter raptors from landing on cross-arms. The deterrent triangles could help prevent raptor electrocutions on cluttered structures that would be otherwise difficult to cover up. Birds do not always sit on the highest point on a structure; they often sit on a lower point and use the structure for shade on hot summer days.

Protecting squirrels from electrocution may seem of minor significance, however many of our members feed these small animals and consider them personal friends in their backyard. As a matter of public relations, preventing the death of these friendly little backyard visitors is very significant.

Underground electric lines are often damaged by gnawing rodents such as gophers. In areas known to be inhabited by gophers, all underground electric lines are installed in conduit to prevent such damage.

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©2021 Victory Electric Cooperative. All Rights Reserved. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

  • Home
  • About
    • Your Cooperative
      • Office Information
      • Victory Today and Yesterday
      • 75th Anniversary
      • What is an Electric Cooperative?
      • Annual Meeting
      • What are Capital Credits?
      • Seven Cooperative Principles
    • Board of Trustees
    • Management Team
    • Cooperative Career Opportunities
  • Account Services
    • Payment Choices
      • Pay Online with SmartHub
      • PowerMyWay
      • AutoPay
      • Payment Arrangements and Assistance
      • Billing Procedures and Due Dates
      • Invoice Payments
      • Security Deposits & Fees
      • Your Electric Bill Explained
      • Protect Yourself Against Payment Scams
    • Service Requests
      • Open an Account and Connect Service
      • Transferring Service
      • Disconnecting Service
    • Governance/policies & procedures
      • Rules and Regulations, Bylaws and Rates
      • Cold Weather Rule
      • Medical Necessity
  • Communications
    • Publications
      • Kansas Country Living Magazine and ElectroNews Newsletter
      • Latest news
    • Document Library
    • Video Library
    • Member Satisfaction Surveys
    • Legislative Awareness and Grassroots Efforts
  • My Community
    • Programs
      • CoBank Sharing Success Grant
      • Community, School & Electrical Safety Presentations
      • Co-ops Love Local
    • Events
      • Pumpkin Painting & Carving Festival
      • Co-ops Care Golf Tournament
      • Christmas Parade of Lights
    • Youth Programs
      • Scholarship Opportunities
      • Youth Tour & Leadership Camp
    • Our Community Partners
  • Power 101
    • Outage Preparedness
      • Preparing for a Power Outage
      • My Power is Out. Now What?
      • How Power is Restored
      • Power Supply and Getting It to You
      • Winter Storm Preparedness and Safety
    • Safety Resources
      • Electrical Safety
      • What to do in an Emergency
      • Oversize Loads
      • Dig Safe and KS One Call
      • Trees and Power Lines
      • Generator Safety
      • Surge Protection
      • Wildlife Protection
      • Report a street light problem
    • Energy Efficiency
      • Energy Saving Tips
      • Choosing the Right Lightbulbs
    • Advanced Metering