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Protecting the Permian / Meet three land stewards devoted to restoring, improving wildlife habitat

March 7, 2024

Stakeholders examine a pipeline right-of-way reclaimed with native grasses during a field day at Quail Ranch.

Faces of ConocoPhillips

Q&A

Jesse Wood, Jason Brooks and Ryan Jonnes are making a positive impact on the Permian Basin ecosystem, enabling ConocoPhillips to successfully balance responsible oil and gas development with land stewardship.

As Permian Basin Director of Ecology and Sustainable Development, Jesse oversees stewardship activities and management of natural resources on over 195,000 acres in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico. He also serves as a liaison to state and federal agencies addressing threatened and endangered species concerns and facilitating implementation of corporate sustainable development and biodiversity initiatives.

Jason and Ryan are wildlife biologists and field coordinators on Jesse’s team, helping him implement ConocoPhillips’ land stewardship initiatives in the Permian.

Read on to learn how these three wildlife experts are managing ConocoPhillips' West Texas and New Mexico properties in a responsible and sustainable manner.

The Permian Surface Land team hosted more than 40 attendees at a Blue Quail Appreciation Day at Quail Ranch in October 2023. Organized by the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation (RPQRF), this collaborative event featured presentations from ConocoPhillips, RPQRF, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Sul Ross University and the Texas Native Seeds program. Attendees observed brush management, evaluated blue quail habitat, discussed land management and examined previous restoration work on the ranch using native seeds. “This event brought to life the collaboration and partnerships we’ve cultivated in all areas of conservation from land management to habitat restoration,” said Wildlife Biologist Field Coordinator Jason Brooks. “Being able to show attendees firsthand what we’ve done at Quail Ranch was a rewarding moment for our team.”

Why is it important for ConocoPhillips to be a leader in land stewardship in the Permian Basin?

Jesse Wood: Due to our position in the Permian, we’ve been given the opportunity to demonstrate strong land ethics as an exploration and production company. We’ve shown that we can promote rangeland and ecosystem health across the board and have a positive impact across the landscape. It's important that we set the standard for our industry when it comes to stewardship of natural resources where we live and work. I consider it part of our social license to operate.

What do you consider your biggest success story at Quail Ranch?

Jesse Wood: Perhaps our biggest success is the recognition we received from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as a Lone Star Land Steward Award winner in 2022. These prestigious awards are presented to landowners for their contributions to land, water and wildlife stewardship. We are the first exploration and production company to receive this award, and it is a testament to our commitment to manage our assets in a responsible and sustainable manner.

To what do you attribute your successes?

Jesse Wood: Two things come to mind: the encouragement and support of our leadership, and partnerships with organizations aligned with our stewardship goals. We've forged a number of mutually beneficial relationships with partners who are experts in their fields, including the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, Sul Ross State University Borderlands Research Institute, Texas A&M Agrilife Research and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to name a few. Access to subject matter experts is key to making sure we have access to the latest information and best management practices.

How are we sharing our learnings?

Jesse Wood: We primarily share information through field days and service events hosted at our facility on Quail Ranch. We have hosted two Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation Stewards of the Wild service events, along with a Blue Quail Appreciation Day and a Native Plant Restoration field day. These events offer opportunities to collaborate with partners I mentioned earlier and showcase our stewardship efforts. We also plan to share outcomes of ongoing research projects when available. I hope we can share information that makes us, as an industry, better stewards of natural resources.

ConocoPhillips, in collaboration with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute’s Texas Native Seeds Program, hosted a Native Plant Restoration field day in 2022 at Quail Ranch to share conservation and restoration learnings. In 2022, ConocoPhillips planted more than 362 acres at the ranch with native seeds.

What are ConocoPhillips’ restoration and wildlife management priorities for 2024 in the Permian Basin?

Jason Brooks: One of our top goals is always to work with our internal and third-party development teams to site new projects in the most ecologically responsible manner possible. Beyond that, we will continue to restore all right-of-way and decommissioned infrastructure on surface interests; enhance degraded habitats consistent with our long-term plans; and maintain areas that we have previously restored. In addition, we have some exciting community events planned this year, including the 2024 Trail Run at Quail Ranch; a Girls in Science Program hosted by Sibley Nature Center (presenting to 4th-6th grade girls on wildlife biology); and a Quail Masters event hosted by the Rolling Plains Research Ranch that demonstrates how new technologies, such as drones, are being used to manage wildlife habitat.

Why is collaboration important in land stewardship?

Jason Brooks: Habitat fragmentation is probably our biggest challenge, so collaboration allows managers to multiply the impacts of their efforts by creating larger swaths of suitable habitat across property boundaries.

How do the wildlife surveys you conduct influence land management decisions?

Jason Brooks: We use survey data to measure success and utilization of our restoration efforts. If we find something is working, we simply do more of that.

Western burrowing owls are a threatened species that share the same habitat as quail and are also vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation. At Quail Ranch, ConocoPhillips has restored grassland habitat and installed artificial burrows for this species. In 2024, the project area continues to be used by burrowing owls. "Utilization varies year to year based on local populations and climate conditions, but the habitat still looks great," said Jason Brooks. "We will implement spot treatment of encroaching brush as needed to maintain the area as an open grassland going forward."

What’s the most challenging aspect of restoring native grassland in a desert environment?

Ryan Jonnes: There are many challenges to restoring native grassland in a desert environment. Precipitation is the driver for all life in the desert. After years of drought, you can see a negative shift in the desirable plant community. Invasive plants like Lehman’s lovegrass and African rue are adapted to dry environments and spread quickly, out-competing preferred native grasses. More information is needed on reducing Lehman’s lovegrass density in order to give native plant communities a chance.

Are you seeing an increase in blue quail numbers where habitat has been restored?

Ryan Jonnes: Winter precipitation is paramount for blue quail populations. Quail populations can rebound quickly given the right conditions. It is our goal to provide quail with favorable habitat to have large rebounds on the favorable years and maintain populations during the dry periods.

Jason Brooks: In fully restored areas, we do see an uptick in quail numbers relative to adjacent properties due to an increase primarily in nesting habitat, but also cover and in some cases food. Enhancing nest success and survival via sound management allows us to maximize the natural “boom” cycles that Ryan mentioned, while mitigating the “busts.”

In addition to grassland restoration, what other projects are being conducted on ConocoPhillips' properties?

Ryan Jonnes: One of our New Mexico properties has a vibrant desert spring system. Years of streamside grazing and the presence of salt cedar have eroded the banks, changed the plant community and reduced water flow in the system. In 2022, we constructed a cattle exclusion fence to reduce the impact cattle have on bank erosion and water quality. Our next step is salt cedar eradication, which will increase flows and increase streamside soil moisture. I'm excited to see a favorable shift in plant and animal communities within the system.

ConocoPhillips is working to enhance the habitat around this spring-fed stream on one of its New Mexico properties.

Managing natural resources

Knowledge sharing

ConocoPhillips biologists showcased the company's stewardship efforts at the Statewide Quail Symposium in Abilene, Texas, on Aug. 17 and the Texas Section of the Society for Range Management meeting in Bastrop, Texas, on Oct. 19. Collectively, approximately 450 people attended the events.

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Permian Basin biodiversity

The Permian Basin is home to bobcats, Harris's hawks and jackrabbits. At Quail Ranch, a working oil and gas property, ConocoPhillips and its partners have focused on wildlife management. The property includes two large, restored playa lakes and formerly brush encroached grasslands that have been treated effectively and now serve as vital habitat for pronghorn, burrowing owls and black-tailed prairie dogs. Learn more about ConocoPhillips' biodiversity position.

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Pronghorn-friendly fences

ConocoPhillips recently hosted two Texas Parks & Wildlife Stewards of the Wild service events at Quail Ranch, including one on modifying fences for pronghorns. Pronghorns need to move to areas with better range conditions, especially during drought. But fences can hinder their movements. Because pronghorns are reluctant to jump over fences, modifying fences so they can crawl under them, rather than jump over them, makes a huge difference.

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Scaled quail research

ConocoPhillips wildlife biologists recently collaborated with other scientists and the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation (RPQRF) to study and re-establish the scaled quail population across the region. ConocoPhillips monitored three different sites at Quail Ranch to understand the impact of oil and gas development on scaled quail habitat selection. As part of this research, wildlife biologists attached leg bands and a GPS transmitter to quails. Researchers used the location data to create habitat maps in ArcGIS, a software for building interactive web maps with data. These maps provide information regarding scaled quail habitat selection relative to energy infrastructure. By understanding habitat selection across a spectrum of energy development, ConocoPhillips can create management strategies that mitigate future impacts on scaled quail populations.

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Wildlife in the Permian Basin

Numerous species call the Permian Basin home, including the Western diamondback rattlesnake, American badger and pronghorn. Learn how ConocoPhillips take a proactive approach to conservation.

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Brush management to restore grasslands

ConocoPhillips is restoring grassland habitat on Quail Ranch through brush management. This involves removing and suppressing mesquite, tarbush and creosote to reduce canopy cover and enhance herbaceous species. This restoration improves the habitat for grassland species such as pronghorn, prairie dogs, burrowing owls and grassland songbirds.

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Burrowing owl den installation

Stewards of the Wild volunteers install a den for burrowing owls at Quail Ranch.

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Burrowing owl den

Stewards of the Wild volunteers stand atop a burrowing owl den they installed at Quail Ranch.

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Javelina

Javelinas are resourceful desert dwellers, thriving in the hot and arid environment of the Permian Basin, a biodiverse ecosystem.

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Texas horned lizard

At Quail Ranch, biologists are conducting ongoing wildlife surveys on various species, including the Texas horned lizard, a species of concern.

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