Oil and gas plan could undercut indigo snake recovery in Alabama

The Orianne Society is warning that proposed oil and gas leasing in Alabama’s Conecuh National Forest could threaten a long-running effort to restore the federally threatened Eastern Indigo Snake. The group says the plan would put habitat, road safety and prescribed fire management at risk in one of the species’ key recovery sites.

Why it matters: - The Conecuh National Forest reintroduction is a major test of whether the Eastern Indigo Snake can be restored across part of its historic range. - Oil and gas development could fragment habitat, increase snake deaths on roads and complicate forest management that supports the species. - The recovery effort matters beyond the snake because the Eastern Indigo Snake is tied to the longleaf pine ecosystem and to other native wildlife.

What happened: - The Orianne Society said proposed oil and gas leasing in Alabama’s Conecuh National Forest could jeopardize recovery of the federally threatened Eastern Indigo Snake. - The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is considering the proposal, which would open about 2,263 acres to oil and gas leasing. - The Orianne Society published a full article on the issue, available here.

The details: - The Eastern Indigo Snake is the longest native snake in the United States and a top predator in the longleaf pine ecosystem. - The species once ranged across the southeastern Coastal Plain from Mississippi to Georgia. - The snake disappeared from the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southeastern Mississippi after habitat loss, fragmentation, direct persecution and other threats. - Since 2010, The Orianne Society and partners have reintroduced the species to Conecuh National Forest. - Conservation teams have released 350 captive-reared Eastern Indigo Snakes into the forest. - Researchers are now seeing wild reproduction and range expansion within the site. - The Orianne Society said new roads and energy infrastructure could destroy and fragment critical habitat. - The group also warned that development could increase road mortality, complicate prescribed fire management and harm Gopher Tortoises. - Gopher Tortoise burrows provide winter shelter for Eastern Indigo Snakes. - Dr. Chris Jenkins, CEO of The Orianne Society, said habitat fragmentation and higher mortality could jeopardize long-term recovery. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recovery plan says Eastern Indigo Snakes cannot be considered for delisting until multiple secure populations exist across their historic range, including the Panhandle region. - No naturally occurring populations remain in that region today. - The Conecuh reintroduction effort is a cornerstone of the species’ recovery strategy.

Between the lines: - The dispute is not just about one forest lease. It is about whether a high-profile recovery project can be sustained while industrial use expands nearby. - The concern is that years of public and private investment could be weakened by infrastructure that makes the habitat less usable for snakes and harder to manage with fire. - Dr. Houston Chandler, The Orianne Society’s Director of Science, said the annual releases draw strong public interest and help protect the broader longleaf pine ecosystem.

What's next: - The Bureau of Land Management will continue reviewing the leasing proposal. - Conservation groups are likely to keep pressing the case that Conecuh should remain focused on recovery work rather than energy development. - Any decision that advances leasing would raise new questions about how to balance resource extraction with endangered species recovery goals.

The bottom line: - Conecuh National Forest is emerging as a make-or-break site for one of the Southeast’s most important snake recovery efforts, and the proposed lease could slow or reverse that progress.