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Forecasting Energy Development Scenarios to Aid in Conservation Design

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Energy Development and Wildlife Conservation in Western North America

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Abstract

Rapid increases in development of both renewable and traditional hydrocarbon energy resources seem certain and will probably affect up to 20 percent of the major terrestrial ecosystems in the western United States (chap.2; McDonald et al.2009). Growing concerns over the potential social and biological impacts of climate change, with related calls to reduce carbon emissions, have intensified demands to develop renewable energy resources (Brooke2008). Nevertheless, fossil fuels will continue as a primary source of energy, with ramifications for the western United States, where a substantial portion of domestic onshore hydrocarbon resources are found (chap.2). Exploitation of a wider portion of our domestic energy resources will increase the likelihood of conflicts between energy development and conservation and necessitate more proactive approaches to environmental mitigation (chap.9).

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Montana and Wyoming State Offices of the BLM and Oil and Gas Commission for insights about oil and gas production on federal lands, Ronald Marrs for geological expertise in model design, Tom Rinkes and Tom Christiansen for initial thought-provoking discussion, Jody Daline for assistance compiling data on reasonable foreseeable development from BLM field offices, and Jeffrey Evans for statistical analysis support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Nature Conservancy, Lander, Wyoming, USA

    Holly E. Copeland (Spatial Ecologist)

  2. U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service, Bismarck, North Dakota, USA

    Kevin E. Doherty (Wildlife Biologist)

  3. Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, USA

    David E. Naugle (Professor)

  4. The Nature Conservancy, Montana, USA

    Amy Pocewicz (Landscape Ecologist) & Joseph M. Kiesecker (Scientist)

Authors
  1. Holly E. Copeland
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  2. Kevin E. Doherty
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  3. David E. Naugle
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  4. Amy Pocewicz
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  5. Joseph M. Kiesecker
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David E. Naugle

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© 2011 Island Press

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Copeland, H.E., Doherty, K.E., Naugle, D.E., Pocewicz, A., Kiesecker, J.M. (2011). Forecasting Energy Development Scenarios to Aid in Conservation Design. In: Naugle, D.E. (eds) Energy Development and Wildlife Conservation in Western North America. Island Press, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-022-4_10

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