Carrying Capacity Not What It Seems

[COEngineer]

I know no one here will be surprised that Randy is putting out amazing content, but this one really hit home for me. For every acre of habitat lost due to human disturbance, deer a giving up another 4.6 acres of habitat because they don't want to be near oil wells etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA2YT4MksK8

 

[88man]

I know no one here will be surprised that Randy is putting out amazing content, but this one really hit home for me. For every acre of habitat lost due to human disturbance, deer a giving up another 4.6 acres of habitat because they don't want to be near oil wells etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA2YT4MksK8

What about solar fields and wind farms? They pose no issue? Just O&G?

 

[Schaaf]

What about solar fields and wind farms? They pose no issue? Just O&G?

Think etc. catches those.

 

[88man]

Think etc. catches those.

Gotcha. To some folks some things are better not said. Outta site outta mind and focus.

 

[BuzzH]

What about solar fields and wind farms? They pose no issue? Just O&G?

Absolutely they do, the pads and the roads to all energy development in general kicks the shit out of wildlife habitat. The roads alone grow nothing. Further the roads increase ease of access, spread noxious weeds, and increase ease of poaching.

The footprint for oil and gas is much larger in Wyoming than wind/solar.

But to deny the negative impacts of both is irresponsible. All loss of habitat is additive.

 

[88man]

Absolutely they do, the pads and the roads to all energy development in general kicks the shit out of wildlife habitat. The roads alone grow nothing. Further the roads increase ease of access, spread noxious weeds, and increase ease of poaching.

The footprint for oil and gas is much larger in Wyoming than wind/solar.

But to deny the negative impacts of both is irresponsible. All loss of habitat is additive.

Buzz, just your opinion do you think in the next 20 years there will be more new acres of (wind & Solar) or O & G developed in Wyoming

 

[nrpate05]

Wind and solar are huge issues - seemingly more so solar, but it depends. Solar arrays have to have perimeter fencing by law and that precludes any animal moving through the area, which is direct habitat loss. A study by Hall Sawyer found that animals use the area surrounding the solar farm less as well, which is indirect habitat loss.

https://www.researchgate.net/public...velopment_and_ungulates_on_western_rangelands

There will very likely be more new acres of wind and solar in Wyoming in the coming decades. There are projects already in the works. My understanding is that most of these will be on private land and that developers are offering landowners 'generational wealth' kind of money to build these things. I'm sure some projects will be set back due to Trump directives, but that will change someday.

Oil and Gas production, on the other hand, could skyrocket. In the most recent BLM lease sale, held yesterday, companies leased nearly 70,000 acres at an average bid of $204 per acre (I want that kind of deal...). With royalty rates down 25%, less revenue will go to local communities.

 

[BuzzH]

Buzz, just your opinion do you think in the next 20 years there will be more new acres of (wind & Solar) or O & G developed in Wyoming

Oil and gas, but I should qualify that with on public land.

Private land???

Who knows but my gut tells me that could be wind and solar.

 

[birmingham485]

We need to stay vigilant against it all - The issue for hunters is loss of good wildlife habitat and we should fight it whether it's oil/gas, renewables, strip malls, mining operations, new housing developments, ski hill expansion, or anything else they try to push onto our lands. Don't let the politicians split us up on this and fight it all!

 

[Gellar]

Oil and gas, but I should qualify that with on public land.

Private land???

Who knows but my gut tells me that could be wind and solar.

Buzz, the big craze around here is counties are working feverishly to get wind, solar and battery storage ordinances to limit the damage. For example, our county just did solar and wind ordinances. The ordinance pretty much limits development to residential only. Wind has to be below a certain height. Solar can only have so many arrays, also they put in there a development has to be so far from a wildlife management area. Are you guys seeing action like that?

 

[COEngineer]

Speaking of WY Oil and Gas: https://wyofile.com/feds-broke-law-approving-massive-converse-gas-oil-field-court-finds

 

[WesternWyoming]

Absolutely they do, the pads and the roads to all energy development in general kicks the shit out of wildlife habitat. The roads alone grow nothing. Further the roads increase ease of access, spread noxious weeds, and increase ease of poaching.

The footprint for oil and gas is much larger in Wyoming than wind/solar.

But to deny the negative impacts of both is irresponsible. All loss of habitat is additive.

It’s true that massive energy fields destroy habitat. The difference in Wyoming is, the governor is planning to export our natural gas to Japan and Taiwan. It’s not possible to export solar and wind energy outside the U.S.

It is possible to use decades of scientific research to aid placement of wind and solar so that damage is reduced, say in places that are already sacrifice zones like the Jonah Field.

As we export our gas to Japan we essentially send with it our mule deer, pronghorn and sage grouse.

 

[Steiny77]

All the solar farms around here have a high perimeter fence. These massive acreages will no longer hold any game with exception of a few rodents and birds.

A positive in this neck of the woods is that many mined out gravel pits, limestone quarries and coal mines are now some of the best hunting and fishing areas around. Same could be said of some of the decommissioned military properties.

Unfortunately, we are losing far more than we are gaining.

 

[D4570]

We have thousands of windmills and wind farms, most on private land but some on State trust lands. Some of the ones on trust land block off access to the land for hunting. That concerns me.

 

[Slam]

I have been told that solar is going to wind down substantially starting in 2007 as subsidies are reduced. This comes from a close friend who was a regional manager for solar development in a southern state. He retired end of 2025. He has been counseling his former superintendents and project managers to start now formulating a plan for what they will do for a living in the near future.

"leased nearly 70,000 acres at an average bid of $204 per acre (I want that kind of deal...). With royalty rates down 25%"
What are private property leases going for in this region? I bet its significantly more. Why are royalty rates declining? As an example (NE Ohio), I am seeing bonus considerations between $3000-$5100 per acre in the last 2 months with royalty rates of 15%-18% gross for a 5 yr term with options.

I just shake my head when contemplating how our Fed Govt mismanages the leasing of our lands across all spectrums from extraction to grazing.

For those who think green energy is economically viable and more importantly scalable when needed watch this synopsis from our Energy secretary discussing how electricity was generated for the last severe cold spell in the NE. Its compelling.