GEOG 469
Energy Industry Applications of GIS

Biological Resource Criteria

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Wildlife and Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species (RTES)

Endangered species are species whose continued existence is in jeopardy. Threatened species are those species that are likely to become endangered. The construction and operation of transmission lines can affect plants and animals by altering habitat, displacing habitat, and causing injury or mortality due to collisions with transmission line insulators, conductors, and wires. For example, a transmission line proposed through the Lesser Prairie Chicken habitat would automatically trigger the Endangered Species Act and have a negative impact and create a delay in the siting process.

Proposed transmission line route would affect the Lesser Prairie chicken's habitat.
Figure 5.10: Photo from an online news story