a currency for offsetting energy development impacts horse-trading sage-grouse on the open market为抵消货币在公开市场上讨价还价发电场能源发展的影响.pdfVIP

A Currency for Offsetting Energy Development Impacts: Horse-Trading Sage-Grouse on the Open Market 1 2 3 Kevin E. Doherty *, David E. Naugle , Jeffrey S. Evans 1 National Audubon Society Science, Wyoming Audubon, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America, 2 Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America, 3 North America Science, The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America Abstract Background: Biodiversity offsets provide a mechanism to compensate for unavoidable damages from new energy development as the U.S. increases its domestic production. Proponents argue that offsets provide a partial solution for funding conservation while opponents contend the practice is flawed because offsets are negotiated without the science necessary to backup resulting decisions. Missing in negotiations is a biologically-based currency for estimating sufficiency of offsets and a framework for applying proceeds to maximize conservation benefits. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we quantify a common currency for offsets for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) by estimating number of impacted birds at 4 levels of development commonly permitted. Impacts were indiscernible at 1–12 wells per 32.2 km2. Above this threshold lek losses were 2–5 times greater inside than outside of development and bird abundance at remaining leks declined by 232 to 277%. Findings reiterated the importance of time- lags as evidenced by greater impacts 4 years after initial development. Clustering well locations enabled a few small leks to remain active inside of developments. Conclusions/Significance: Documented impacts relative to development in