The coalbed natural gas industry understands the importance of wildlife both to the economy and the “sense of place” in the Powder River Basin. Operators have been active in finding ways to mitigate their impact, as well as working with wildlife groups, including Wyoming Game and Fish and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel, to enhance habitat.

Impacts to wildlife occur primarily from surface disturbance. The long-term disturbance of a coalbed gas well is the clearing of a six-foot square area to house the well facilities. In more central locations there are the pod metering building, which are about as big as a single car garage. Finally, there are the compressor sites which occupy between 0.25 and 1.5 acres, depending on the number of engines at the facility. Facilities are often fenced to protect both domestic and wild animals. The nature of coalbed gas operations is such that minimal monitoring is needed, which reduces potential disturbance of wildlife. At the end of the life of each of these facilities, rules and regulations are in place to ensure reclamation.

Where disturbance is related to a short-term activity, such as pipeline construction, the site is immediately reclaimed and reseeded with native species. The coalbed natural gas industry also mitigates impacts to wildlife by timing their operations during certain times of the year to avoid nesting or birthing seasons.
Operators have taken advantage of opportunities to create habitat for wildlife when possible including bird rehabilitation projects, tree planting, fish ponds, and elk and antelope habitat enhancements.

The Petroleum Association of Wyoming has a sage grouse management team to explore opportunities to ensure development co-exists with sage grouse. Please visit: http://www.pawyo.org/html/home.htm to learn more. Oftentimes operators exceed the required rules and regulations to ensure development co-exists with the environment and natural habitats.  They provide research that wouldn’t be available otherwise and we now know more about sage grouse, thanks to the tremendous efforts industry has taken to preserve our wildlife.