Five oil and gas companies are voluntarily enrolling nearly 1.5 million acres of land under an innovative plan to conserve the lesser prairie-chicken. This represents the first enrollment in the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-wide Conservation Plan (RWP), developed by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) and state wildlife agencies in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. In addition, WAFWA is now accepting applications through the end of February for landowner participation in the plan.

Continental Resources, Devon Energy, Apache Corp., Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation, and Samson Resources have committed to develop enrolled land in ways that minimize impacts on lesser prairie-chicken habitat. They will also mitigate development impacts that cannot be avoided by providing funding for conservation on private land throughout the region. Other companies in various industries, including oil and gas, pipeline, electric transmission and distribution, and wind energy, are now considering enrollment in the plan.

On February 6, the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) announced it was now accepting applications through February 28 from agricultural producers in lesser prairie-chicken range willing to implement conservation practices to benefit the species. Practices include activities such as mechanical brush removal, prescribed grazing, and establishment and management of planted native grass stands. Only producers not currently enrolled in federal farm bill programs will be eligible to apply for five- and 10-year contract options. At the end of the sign-up period, WAFWA will score and rank applications based on their value to prairie-chickens and select the highest ranking offers to receive funding. Landowners with accepted offers will receive a sign-up incentive and payments for implementing conservation practices that will maximize the value of their property for prairie-chickens. Payments of up to 125 percent of the estimated cost of implementing the conservation plan will be offered to landowners in high priority locations who are providing optimal habitat to the LPC.

If the species is listed, any take that occurred while implementing prescribed practices would be exempt from the take prohibitions of the ESA. Producers who are interested in the program should contact their local state wildlife agency office for more details or to complete an application.

After the sign-up period is complete, WAFWA will develop similar conservation plans for producers who do not desire or do not qualify for payments but simply want to be exempted from ESA take prohibitions. The prescribed management practices in these plans will be similar to the plans associated with funding, though livestock stocking rates won't be quite as conservative. However, if the species is listed, any take that occurred while implementing the prescribed practices would be exempt from the take prohibitions of the ESA. Producers interested in this type of conservation plan should also contact their local state wildlife agency office to request that one be developed.