Empowering Sustainable Development Through Expert Biological Assessments and Innovative Geospatial Analysis:

 Lark personnel bring decades of experience in the oil and gas industry, including the development of a Programmatic Biological Assessment and Biological Evaluation (BABE) and a subsequent amendment for exploration and development activities across approximately 1 million acres on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

Following the completion of the Programmatic BABE and its amendment in 2017, Lark, in partnership with a Native American-owned firm, was retained to develop an additional amendment. This effort involved preparing documentation and analyses for the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to assess potential impacts of oil and gas development on the federally listed Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae) and other species protected under the Endangered Species Act. The amendment also evaluated effects on species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940. Spatial analyses of habitat were conducted to support these assessments.

Lark personnel developed a comprehensive geospatial analysis tool to identify areas where Dakota skippers were present on the reservation. This habitat suitability model and an associated desktop screening method were designed specifically for the Dakota skipper and identified habitat variables associated with their observations. The habitat suitability model identified potential habitat areas to either avoid or consider for development. The resulting framework guided operators in determining the location of possible habitats – using desktop analysis and/or field verification- and outlined the necessary field survey requirements, which varied in scope depending on site conditions.

The Programmatic BABE and its amendments address the critical need for future concurrences and offer a highly streamlined approach for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in reviewing upcoming oil and gas development in the area.

Additional Highlights