NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/736554
increasingly dotted by wind turbines. Currently, there are 18 completed wind farms scattered throughout Nebraska, with plans by energy companies to build more. Welcomed or not, many Nebraskans have taken notice of these gangly newcomers. But do the chickens really care? The Greater Prairie-Chicken Greater prairie-chickens are a Tier 1 species of conservation concern in Nebraska, although they are a game bird. Populations in Nebraska and Kansas are stable, but the species has declined almost everywhere else in its range (see map on page 48). The Tier 1 designation reflects this decline elsewhere and is intended to provide protection to one of the last strongholds of the species in the country. "Prairie chickens are on people's radars, as I like to describe it," said Dr. Larkin Powell, conservation biologist and conservation ecologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "Nebraska and Kansas harbor most of the prairie chickens in North America. So we need to take care of them and that's a reason why most people are interested." Similar to many other species of concern, habitat loss was the driving force that extirpated the greater prairie- chicken from most of its historic range. Prairie chickens need contiguous pieces of grassland, and everywhere that they have disappeared from has become cropland. Today, the greater prairie-chicken has found sanctuary in the open ranges of cattle country – in the Sandhills, a sandy region which is difficult to farm, and the rocky Flint Hills in eastern Kansas. "Essentially, the range where they are now, they have been protected by cattle ranching. So it's a good lesson in seeing the interactions between the stewards – owners – and the land. The ranchers are helping, though probably unknowingly, to preserve the species because of their ranching activities that keep the land as nice grasslands," Powell said. And similar to many grassland species, greater prairie-chickens do not like trees near their breeding grounds, as trees can hide lurking predators that may swoop down at these ground- nesting birds. With more and more wind farms being built in the Sandhills, the big question is – do the chickens equate wind turbines to trees? Will wind farms affect breeding habits and ultimately harm the survival of this species of conservation concern? Wind Energy There's a lot of wind in Nebraska. The Great Plains region holds high potential for wind-energy production. The vast expanse of the Sandhills, dominated by a complementary ranching industry, is where energy companies have been looking to build. Hence, as a pilot project, the Nebraska Public Power District built a 36-turbine wind farm near Ainsworth in 2005. Since then, more wind farms have been built all across Nebraska, neo.ne.gov/ statshtml/89.htm. Compared to other fuel sources, wind energy is considered clean, sustainable and cost-effective. Powell doesn't see the construction of new wind farms slowing down in Nebraska. Although the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission cannot make the final call on whether a company can or cannot build, developers often seek its review of proposed projects to avoid unforeseen environmental impacts, according to Michelle Koch, the Commission's environmental analyst supervisor. "Wind energy companies want to ensure that their 'green' reputation stays intact. They are also required to get a state permit from some type of agency, whether it's us or another one, to make sure they're not impacting species," Koch said. "Although prairie chickens are not a listed species, these companies still try to do what we ask them to do." However, with wind energy being still new to the region, there haven't been enough studies and data to make solid recommendations regarding PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN NOVEMBER 2016 • NEBRASKAland 47 DR. LARKIN POWELL Two male greater prairie-chickens fi ght on a lek.