How much should a chicken cost? For the Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company, the bill is $3.75 million for the lesser prairie-chicken. That is the amount the company has pledged to offset a new wind farm in the heart of the birds’ very limited territory in Woodward County in northwestern Oklahoma, according to a recent article in the Oklahoman.Lesser prairie-chickens are a threatened species found in very few places worldwide, and the construction of wind farms further diminishes their numbers because the birds view the wind turbines as a raptor roost and leave. Unfortunately, their preferred prairie habitat is shrinking drastically, and there are not many places they can go to survive. The Oklahoma Wildlife Department hopes to use the company’s voluntary contribution to purchase suitable habitat to create more conservation sites for lesser prairie-chickens.
Do you think $3.75 million is a fair price for a wind farm to reduce this bird’s already shrinking habitat? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Lesser Prairie-Chicken
Photo © Dominic Sherony
Comments
Absolutely not.
It’s not just $3.75 million. You forgot this part of the article,
“Paul Renfrow, vice president of public affairs for OGE Corp., said the company is only a minor player in wind power development in Oklahoma.
But OG&E hopes that its financial donation to the state Wildlife Department to protect wildlife species displaced by wind farms will spur other energy development companies to do the same, he said.
“We hope this serves as a role model for others going into this industry,” he said. “This is the way it should be done.”