Osage Plains

The Osage Plains are a

Birds in the Osage Plains include the threatened greater prairie-chicken, Henslow's sparrow, dickcissel, loggerhead shrike, field sparrow, scissor-tailed flycatcher, Bell's vireo, painted bunting, and Harris's sparrow. Wildfire suppression, overgrazing, and the spread of exotic plants are the factors most negatively affecting priority bird habitat. The area now is managed almost exclusively for beef production with annual burns and intensive grazing practices that provide little of the habitat structure required to support many priority bird species.

Historically, fire, drought, and

The area contained two major mining areas. The biggest was the Tri-State lead and zinc region, consisting of nearly 2,000 sq mi (5,200 km²). This was the largest concentration of zinc deposits anywhere in the world. Most mining sites have closed, mainly due to health and other environmental issues. More than $1 billion worth of lead and zinc were extracted from the area during the active mining days. The other major mining was for bituminous coal. Due to air quality standards, this region's coal is in low demand due to its high sulfur content.^[4]

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