Page 12 - 2018 MAY/JUNE Outdoor Oklahoma

JOHN tHOrNtON/rpS 2015
RANGE-WIDE PLAN REPORTS PRAIRIE-CHICKEN GAINS

Successful momentum continued in 2017 for the Lesser Prai- enhance lesser prairie-chicken conservation by refocusing
rie-Chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan, according to the existing efforts and also established a new mitigation frame-
annual report submitted by the Western Association of Fish work, administered by WAFWA, to encourage greater volun-
and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) submitted to the U.S. Fish tary cooperation of landowners and industry participants. This
and Wildlife Service. plan allows industry participants to continue operations while
Among other accomplishments, WAFWA reported on the restoring and maintaining habitat and reducing development
permanent conservation of land in three ecoregions, including a impacts to the bird and its habitat.
stronghold that was created with the placement of a conservation Findings for 2017 include:
easement on a nearly 30,000-acre • Lesser prairie-chicken population trending upward. Aerial
ranch in Kansas. In addition, the surveys estimated breeding population at 33,269 birds in
population of the bird is trending 2017, up 34 percent from the previous year. There has been
upward, a promising sign. a statistically significant increasing trend in the range-wide
J.D. Strong, Director of the lesser prairie-chicken breeding population since 2013, when
Oklahoma Department of Wild- drought subsided across much of their range. The average rate
life Conservation and Chairman of annual increase since that time has been 2,931 birds.
of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken
Initiative Council, said, “We’re • Permanent conservation efforts on private land bolstered.
pleased at the progress that has WAFWA secured permanent conservation in three ecore-
been made thus far. The popula- gions by finalizing agreements with five landowners.
tion trend is encouraging, as is the • Industry projects mitigated. In 2017, 169 industry projects
continued support of all of our were processed and mitigated. These projects required
partners who are participating in $1,426,961.45 in mitigation fees. In 2017, participant com-
the range-wide plan. J.D. Strong, Director, ODWC panies reduced impacts on lesser prairie-chicken habitat
“We’re in this for the long haul,
and we’re just four years in at this point,” Strong said. by voluntarily siting 74 percent of new development with
pre-existing development and by siting most new develop-
The range-wide plan is a collaborative effort of the state wild-
life agencies of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas and ments in areas that have poor or marginal habitat quality.
Colorado as well as other private and public partners involved A video highlighting the WAFWA lesser prairie-chicken pro-
in lesser prairie-chicken conservation. It was developed to gram can be viewed at www.tinyurl.com/P-ChickenPlan.

10 Off the Beaten Path