CPW Lesser Prairie Chicken Shapefile Download

Updated December, 2025 HISTORIC RANGE: Areas where lesser prairie chickens have been known to occur prior to 1955. Taken from Aldrich and Duvall (1955). ESTIMATED OCCUPIED RANGE (EOR): An area which encompasses all known seasonal activities within the observed range of the lesser prairie chicken. This does not include historic range. The purpose of this layer is to indicate suitable range within Colorado for the Lesser Prairie Chicken based on suitable habitat present. PRODUCTION AREA: An area which includes all nesting and brood rearing habitat of the lesser prairie chicken. Currently defined as a 2.4km buffer zone around each active lek. CHAT PRIORITY AREAS: Mapped polygons designating high priority habitat, both focal areas (CHAT 1) and connectivity areas (CHAT 2) as defined in the Lesser Prairie Chicken Rangewide Plan. This information was derived from Colorado Parks and Wildlife field personnel. Data was captured by digitizing through a SmartBoard Interactive Whiteboard using topographic maps and NAIP imagery at various scales (Cowardin, M., M. Flenner. March 2003. Maximizing Mapping Resources. GeoWorld 16(3):32-35). These data are updated on a four year rotation with one of the four Colorado Parks and Wildlife Regions updated each year. These data are not updated on a statewide level annually.