Modeling Tradeoffs Between Energy Development and Habitat Conservation

Total Land Base of North Dakota:  183,000 km² (70,657 mi²)

Visual depiction of the amount of “Regulated” and “Not Regulated Land” in North Dakota.

• Black areas represent the State’s land base that is unavailable for future renewable-energy development based on the North Dakota Century Code.(75,000km² / 28,958 mi², 41%)
• White areas represent the land base theoretically available for future renewable-energy development or other societally approved land uses. (108,000 km² / 41,700 mi², 59%)
• Pink areas represent the highest-quality habitat for 3 categories of birds. (50,000km² / 19,305 mi², 27%)

This visual allows one to see where potential conflicts and tradeoffs may occur between future energy development and future avian-conservation efforts. The model predicts minimal conflict between energy development and avian-conservation efforts for an area representing about 54% of the “Not Regulated Land.”

Nearly 1/2 (41%) of the land base of North Dakota is off-limits to future renewable-energy development.

Over 1/4 (27%) of North Dakota is excellent habitat for the three categories of birds (grassland, waterfowl, and Whooping Cranes).