Where the Antelope Roam...Gas Wells No Problem

[MarvB]

Note that it doesn't talk about mule deer populations

The pronghorn antelope, which coexists with natural gas wells in the Pinedale Anticline of the Upper Green River Basin of Wyoming, is proving adaptable to science-informed development, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said in its second annual report Monday.

Similar to the first report published last summer, the new data suggest that the antelope herds' population remains strong throughout the Anticline at the current level of development. The ongoing five-year study by the WCS used input from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The Upper Green River Basin in western Wyoming holds vast reserves of natural gas, including the Pinedale Anticline, which is the nation's second largest gas field. It is also home to several species of wildlife, including pronghorn antelope, which rely on the Anticline for crucial wintering range. Researchers again did not detect any differences in survival rates or body mass of pronghorn captured in and among the gas fields (designated experimental animals) and those captured at sites far from petroleum activities (designated control animals).

"Although we initially predicted some potential negative impacts from habitat loss and disturbance, at this juncture none have been detected," said WCS researcher Joel Berger. He coauthored the study with WCS scientists Kim Murray Berger and Jon Beckmann. "With appropriate actions it remains possible to responsibly manage the resources of the Upper Green River Valley." These types of management actions would be determined in an upcoming BLM Resource Management Plan.

The second-year report indicates that antelope are not avoiding gas field areas within the Anticline; however, to date only about 3% of the surface area in the Pinedale Anticline has been disturbed. In the Jonah field, researchers detected that some animals appear to be avoiding those areas of highest-intensity development. The data were collected by fitting 50 pronghorn with global positioning system (GPS) radio collars. Researchers this year deployed 100 VHF radio collars to expand the scope of their study for the remaining three years.

The GPS tracking system also showed that pronghorns rely disproportionately on specific parcels of federal and state land that facilitate major movements between summer and winter ranges, and several of these parcels are within development areas. Gas field development in some areas of the Upper Green River Basin may have little impact on the animals, but development in other areas may hinder pronghorn movements or limit pronghorn numbers.

The next three years of research will evaluate the relationship between development location and movement of antelope herds. The second annual report is now available to the public and can be accessed by the WCS website at www.wcs.org/yellowstone or at www.pinedaleseis.com.

 

[Oak]

Note that it doesn't talk about mule deer populations

Or sage-grouse.

Here are a couple of photos I took this week in WY.

Note the nice stand of halogeton growing in the pipeline ROW in the foreground of this one.

 

[Wyodeerhunter]

Halogeton is the first plant to grow back wherever they disturb the ground out there. Most of the locations have it too. Oh and let us not forget the cheat grass that grows back with it too. Even the old pipelines have little or no sagebrush growing back.

Even with all the development north and south of Whats The Matter, its still isn't as sickening as going to the Jonah field.

It was pretty stormy in Whats the Matter last week, we had a few fires out there. Have to put them out as quick as possible, I hate to see anymore brush die out there

 

[MarvB]

Or sage-grouse.

Yup...

Here's the new "management" directive....instead of discouraging production where it will impact numbers, you just start encouraging it elsewhere ...management by avoiding the problem? Sounds kinda like where I work...

Wyoming Producers Motivated to Avoid Bird Habitat

With the sage grouse population apparently declining as quickly as coalbed methane (CBM) development expands in the Powder River Basin, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office in Wyoming is attempting a friendly chicken dance with the region's oil and natural gas operators, indicating that applications for permits to drill outside the delicate habitat will be given priority.

The decision to revise the energy permitting process follows recent peer-reviewed studies on the effects of drilling in sage grouse habitat, the BLM told operators. The Wyoming BLM office said studies by bioscientists at the University of Montana's College of Forestry and Conservation indicated that efforts to mitigate the impact of CBM development on habitat in the basin were not working. Ya think?

However, BLM wanted to make it clear to oil and natural gas operators that it is still amenable to energy development across Wyoming.

"Our goal is to maintain viable sage grouse populations in Wyoming while continuing to allow oil and natural gas development on public lands and the public mineral estate," said Wyoming BLM Director Bob Bennett.

CBM development in the prolific Powder River Basin was authorized by the 2003 Powder River Basin Environmental Impact Statement, Bennett noted. However, "the 2003 decision included adaptive management, allowing the BLM the flexibility to incorporate new information into decision making to help find the right balance between development and impacts to other natural resources."

Approximately 346,155 acres are affected in Wyoming. In the Powder River Basin, only 11% of the surface is managed by the BLM, and 97% of the public mineral estate has been leased. (About 64% of the basin's mineral estate is owned by the public and managed by the BLM.) The sage grouse habitat areas identified amount to "slightly more than 7% of the Powder River Basin," the agency noted.

Going forward, the BLM's approach in the basin for the sage grouse habitat will include:

Decisions on applications for permits to drill, plans of development and rights-of-way within identified habitat will include National Environmental Protection Act analysis that incorporates the findings of the peer-reviewed research. Operators may amend their current applications to exclude high-quality sage grouse habitat.

The Buffalo, WY, field office will give priority to processing permits and development plans that are outside the habitats to ensure that development may continue and lessen impacts to industry and workers.
The field office also will consider applications with "innovative ideas" on a case-by-case basis in identified habitat.

 

[Oak]

Here's an innovative idea. How about we leave the 7 friggin percent of the basin that is sage-grouse habitat alone?!