North Dakota Endangered & Threatened Species Protection Guide Environmental, Health and Safety
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Whiting Oil and Gas Corporation
How to Avoid Sensitive Species Conflicts Minimize disturbance by: • Keeping your vehicle on existing roads and project areas • Only disturb vegetation or soil if necessary, after a pre-activity survey has been conducted, and ensure that habitat degradation will not occur • Integrate habitat enhancement during the reclamation process • Do not attract wildlife • Do not leave food wrappers or scraps on ground • Do not ever feed wildlife • Keep open pits fenced or provide escape ramps • Avoid injuring plants or animals by: • Checking for wildlife under vehicles • Obeying speed limits • Do not hunt, kill, harm, or harass any wildlife at a work site • Do not take, transport, possess, or sell any endangered, threatened, or candidate species of wildlife • Do not damage or destroy an endangered plant • Avoid damaging or removing vegetation • Report dead or injured eagles to the local Fish & Wildlife office • For more information visit: www.fws.gov/midwest/MidwestBird/eaglepermits/index.html • Avoid wetland margins (the edge of wetland vegetation) by 110 yards. Doing so will likely alleviate many impacts associated with habitat disturbance, destruction, and degradation • During road construction, culverts should be used to prevent damming or funneling of water that normally would reach a wetland basin • During spring and summer, young animal encounters in urban areas, mountains and the plains are common. In all cases: Leave them alone! They may seem to be abandoned but usually they’re not and they are better off left alone • If you find a dead doe by the side of the road with a nearby fawn, remember it is illegal to take it into your home. Call a licensed rehabilitator if you feel the need. For a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators, visit www.agfc.com/species/ Pages/SpeciesWildlifeRehabilitation.aspx • Hunters and fisherman please remember to pick up your waste monofilament lines, empty shotgun shells, and brass
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North Dakota: Guide to Endangered and Threatened Species Protection
Spilled Oil Impacts Birds, Small Mammals, and Other Wildlife
Cleanup of all spilled oil is essential to prevent impact on wildlife. Prevent drips and spills. All species information and photos provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) websites and the following websites: • gf.nd.gov/wildlife • www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/regulations/Instruction_Memos_and_Bulletins/ national_instruction/2013/IM_2013-033.html • www.fws.gov • nas.er.usgs.gov/default.aspx For more information regarding North Dakota’s wildlife and vegetation please visit: • www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/wildlife/nddanger For more information about recommended management practices for reducing oil and gas impacts to wildlife: • www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/contaminants/oilpits.htm
Disclaimer Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate species list may change. For more information please contact Kyla Livingston at kyla.livingston@whiting.com Last Update: March 2015 Whiting Oil and Gas Corporation Environmental, Health and Safety • www.Whiting.com
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Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus Federal Status: Endangered Photo: USFWS
State Status: Endangered
This Sturgeon’s snout is flattened and shovel shaped with a underslung mouth. It can reach a maximum length of about 60 inches and a maximum weight of about 86 pounds when in the northern part of their range.
Habitat: Its preferred habitat is found in the upper Missouri, Little Missouri and Lower Yellowstone Rivers in North Dakota.
Piping Plover Charadrius melodus Federal Status: Threatened State Status: Threatened The Piping Plover is about 7 inches in length Photo: USFWS and is often described as being a pale graybrown. For nesting, piping plovers make shallow scrapes in the sand which they line with pebbles or rocks. The female lays 3 to 4 eggs and both parents share in incubation duties. Depending on food availability, it takes the young from around 18 to 28 days to begin flying.
Habitat: The Piping Plover’s preferred habitat is shoreline sand areas on the Missouri, Yellowstone Rivers, and Alkali wetlands.
Did you know? “Threatened” A species that is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. “Endangered” A species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
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North Dakota: Guide to Endangered and Threatened Species Protection
Black-Footed Ferret Mustela nigripes Federal Status: Endangered State Status: Endangered The Back-Footed Ferret has a tan body with black legs and feet. It also has a black tip on Photo Credit: J. Michael Lockhart, USFWS the tail and a black face mask. This ferret has short legs with large front paws and claws designed for digging.
Habitat: The preferred habitat of the Black-Footed Ferret is prairie dog colonies.
Northern Long-Eared Bat Myotis septentrionalis Federal Status: Threatened State Status: Threatened The Northern Long-Eared bat is a medium-sized bat about 3 inches but with a wingspan of 9 to 10 inches. Its fur color is medium to dark brown on the back and tawny to pale-brown on the underside. This bat is distinguished by its long ears.
Habitat: These bats hibernate in caves and mines in winter and roost or colonize in trees or caves during the summer.
Photo: USFWS
Disclaimer The Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits a person from “taking” threatened and endangered species. “Take” is defined as: to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.
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Wildlife Highlight Sprague’s Pipit Anthus spragueii Federal Status: Candidate State Status: Not Listed Counties: Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Divide, Dunn, Golden Valley, McKenzie, McLean, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville, Stark, Ward, and Williams The Sprague’s Pipit has a small, buff colored face with a large eyering. It can be recognized by it’s white outer tail feathers and brown striped body. The Sprague’s Pipit is a ground nester that breeds and winters on open grasslands.
Photo: Andrew Jordan, TX, 01/2012
Sprague’s Pipit Range
Sprague’s Pipits spend the winters in the Southwestern US and Northern Mexico, and migrate North towards North Dakota in the summers. This rare and declining songbird performs the longest known flight display of any bird. Sprague’s Pipits eat mostly insects and spiders, as well as some seeds. As their native habitat has been overgrazed and converted for farmland, this bird has experienced dramatic declines. This species is in danger of extinction without significant conservation action.
Breeding Range
Migration Corridor
Winter Range
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/ guide/Spragues_Pipit/id
InteriorSprague’s Map: Least Tern Pipit Sterna antillarum Range Federal Status: Endangered State Status: Endangered The Least Tern is the smallest North American Tern. With a length of 9 inches, a wingspan of 20 inches, and light, buoyant flight, it has the appearance of being very delicate on its wings.
Habitat: Least Terns nest on midstream sandbars of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers and shorelines of Lake Sakakawea.
Whooping Crane Grus americana Federal Status: Endangered State Status: Endangered The Whooping Crane stands at 5 feet with a 7 foot wingspan and is the tallest bird in North America. It is stunningly white except for black wing tips, legs, and a red crown and cheeks. Photo: USFWS
Habitat: Roosting occurs within one mile of shallow marshes and agricultural cropland and is considered optimum Whooping Crane habitat during spring and fall.
Did you know? Much of central and northeastern North Dakota lies in the Prairie Pothole Region, an area that is about 1,000 miles long and 300 miles wide and includes portions of Canada, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. The region was created by the Wisconsinan glacier that existed from about 40,000 years ago to 12,000 years ago. The glaciation covered most of North Dakota, except the southwest portion of the state and created millions of potholes when glacier retreated. The Wisconsinan glacier North Dakota Prairie Pothole Region was the driving force in Photo: plainswindeis.anl.gov Photo: USFWS creating North The aerial photo (right) provides a sense of the number and density Dakota’s wetlands. of wetlands within North Dakota. Photo: USFWS
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Red Knot Calidris canutus rufa Federal Status: Threatened State Status: Proposed This migratory bird is about 10 inches in length and has a 20 inch wingspan. Adult Red Knot’s feathers change through the seasons but generally consist of grey, brown, and barred feathers. In Autumn, adults show traces of red feathers on their underparts. Photo: USFWS
Habitat: The Red Knot travels great distances when migrating and typically nests on the ground, near water, and typically inland.
Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Plantanthera praeclara Federal Status: Threatened State Status: Threatened This orchid is distinguished by large, white flowers that come from a single stem. The flower is fringed on the margins giving it a feathery appearance. This orchid can grow up to 3 feet.
Photo: Dnr.state.mn.us
Habitat: The Western Prairie Fringed Orchid occurs in moist tall grass prairies and sedge meadows. In North Dakota, it is commonly found with sedges, reed grass, and rushes or where those plants meet big bluestem, little bluestem, and switch grass.
Poweshiek Skipperling arisma poweshiek Federal Status: Endangered State Status: Endangered Photo: USFWS
The Poweshiek Skipperling is a small butterfly with a wing-span of about 1 inch. It is dark brown above with some light orange along the wing margins and a lighter orange head.
Habitat: Poweshiek Skipperlings live in tall grass prairie in both high, dry areas as well as low, moist areas.
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North Dakota: Guide to Endangered and Threatened Species Protection
Gray Wolf Canis lupus Federal Status: Endangered State Status: Endangered Photo: National Park Service
The Gray Wolf, being a keystone predator, is an integral component of the ecosystems to which it typically belongs. The wide range of habitats in which wolves can thrive reflects their adaptability as a species.
Habitat: Wolves are habitat generalists and lived throughout the northern hemisphere. They only require ungulate prey and human-caused mortality rates that are not excessive.
Dakota Skipper Hesperia dacotae Federal Status: Threatened State Status: Threatened
Photo: USFWS
The Dakota skipper is a small to mid-sized butterfly that inhabits high-quality tall grass and mixed-grass prairie in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota in the United States. The species is presumed to be extirpated from many sites within its occupied range in the United States.
Habitat: The Dakota Skipper is found in high quality native prairie containing a high diversity of wildflowers and grasses. Habitat includes two prairie types: 1) low (wet) prairie dominated by blue-stem grasses, wood lily, harebell, and smooth camas; and 2) upland (dry) prairie dominated by bluestem grasses, needlegrass, pale purple and upright cone-flowers and blanketflower.
Did you know? North Dakota is primarily a prairie state, but it does have a number of vegetation types unique to the Upper Midwest. North Dakota’s climate is continental and is characterized by windy conditions, large variances in temperature, both on a seasonal and daily basis, and precipitation ranging from low to moderate. The state’s highest point is White Butte in the southwestern corner of the state, standing at 3,506 feet above sea level. The lowest point at 750 feet above sea level is in extreme northeastern North Dakota.
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Wildlife Highlight
Greater Sage Grouse Centrocercus urophasianus Federal Status: Candidate State Status: Candidate “Spotted Owls of the Prairie� The Greater Sage Grouse is the largest North American grouse species, weighing an average of 6.3 pounds. They are a year-round resident of North Dakota and rely on the sagebrush for food, habitat, and nesting. This species is in danger of being threatened and possibly endangered as the degradation of sagebrush throughout North America continues. The decline in this plant is due to grazing, fires, invasion of exotic plants, and human-related destruction. Recent studies have indicated that the Greater Sage Grouse lacks resistance to the West Nile Virus that may transfer from direct and indirect human contact to the species and their nesting sites.
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Greater Sage Grouse Range Photo: Craig Bihrle
Current Greater Sage Grouse Distribution
Map courtesy of fws.gov
Historical Greater Sage Grouse Distribution
The Greater Sage Grouse peak breeding season occurs from early May to mid-July, and the broodrearing habitat tends to stay in sagebrush communities or near dry stream bed channels, ridges, gravel pits, and roads. To learn more about the Greater Sage Grouse, visit: http://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/fish-wildlife/ id/birds/grassland-birds/sagegrouse Photo: Conservativeblog.com
Did you know? North Dakota claims more wild ducks than any other state except Alaska, and it has the largest sharp tailed grouse population in the United States. Whiting Oil and Gas Corporation Environmental, Health and Safety • www.Whiting.com 11
What You Can Do As a Whiting employee, contractor, or visitor, you are responsible for protecting wildlife and the environment. Your participation is essential. Each employee, contractor, and visitor should be familiar with the measures that are listed below: • Learn to identify potentially sensitive habitats • Understand what species inhabit your area, the habitat types and where they occur • Keep your vehicle on existing roads and observe the posted speed limit • Remove food and solid wastes from project sites • No firearms are permitted on Whiting property or in company vehicles (Whiting Policy) • Clean up oil and chemical spills • Keep well cellars covered and drained to protect wildlife • Use belt guards, screens, lids, or netting to protect wildlife from moving equipment and tanks • All containers and vent stacks must be closed, netted, or screened • Never purchase products made from threatened or endangered species • Respect the lease owner’s property • Coordinate drilling activities to minimize impacts to wildlife during migration and breeding seasons • Use closed containment systems to collect oil field produced water For more information visit: www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/regulations/Instruction_Memos_and_Bulletins/ national_instruction/2013/IM_2013-033.html
Whiting Oil and Gas Corporation Environmental, Health and Safety 1700 Broadway Suite 2300 Denver, CO 80290 www.Whiting.com 12 North Dakota: Guide to Endangered and Threatened Species Protection