Direct relevance to the natural gas industry of the habitat fragmentation/biodiversity issue resulting from the construction of new pipelines

There has been an increasing interest on the part of federal and state regulators to evaluate linear project impacts on otherwise unfragmented blocks of habitat. Habitat fragmentation has two components: (1) reduction in total habitat area, which may affect population size and (2) reorganization of areas into disjunct fragments, which may affect dispersal and immigration rates. Concerns over these impacts have led to alterations in the selection of right of way (ROW) alignments that avoid large blocks of unfragmented habitat at significant additional cost to industry. A literature review found that linear projects have the potential to modify wildlife habitats in a variety of ways, both beneficial and adverse. A survey of regulatory agencies and industry representatives showed that habitat fragmentation is addressed indirectly by regulations aimed at protection of the environment and sensitive species and by a multitude of federal and state policies and guidelines. It is most commonly an issue in forested habitats, but has also been a concern in grasslands, deserts, wetlands, and riparian habitats. Habitat fragmentation is a complex issue with specific concerns ranging from the obvious (e.g., breaking large habitat blocks into smaller areas; general habitat disturbance) to the more subtle (e.g., invasion of exotic species; facilitation, or hindrance of movement; nest predation). Species that have been of concern include aquatic species, amphibians, reptiles, insects, migratory and resident birds, raptors, and large and small mammals. With proper planning and construction implementation, many adverse impacts associated with habitat fragmentation can be avoided and benefits can be maximized.