Project Mustang sparks wildlife concerns among Claremore residents and officials
A federal review found Project Mustang in Claremore will not affect listed wildlife species, despite ongoing environmental concerns from local residents.
Community activist Amber Robinson Rodriguez obtained a federal wildlife report regarding the proposed Claremore data center development. She questioned the potential effects the project might have on local animals.
Rodriguez requested the document from the Department of Interior. The report listed threatened and endangered species that may occur near the location.
“What I found out is that a lot of the animals that live in that site are at risk,” Rodriguez said.
The report stated that no critical habitat has been designated for the listed species. It also stated that the project location does not overlap critical habitat.
Hannah Peck, a candidate for Claremore City Council, voiced personal opposition to the plan.
“Conservation and protecting our wildlife and our animals here in Claremore along with our farmland is,I take that personally,” Peck said.
Rodriguez shared the federal findings with local community members.
“What I’ve done with this information so far, besides provide it to you, is to put it in the hands of people who care. I don’t think that those hands are the ones that are making the votes and the decisions on the city council,” Rodriguez said.
Developer Beale Infrastructure stated that the project received all required environmental clearances. The company said the development is fully authorized to move forward.
Engineering firm Olsson conducted biological resources evaluations for the site between 2024 and 2026. The firm performed desktop and field surveys for sensitive habitats.
The review drew information from multiple public wildlife databases:
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Information for Planning and Consultation System
- Oklahoma Biological Survey Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory database
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory
Assessments identified seven federal species with potential to occur within the area. The review indicated that no designated critical habitat is present on the site.
Three of the identified animals are proposed species lacking Endangered Species Act protection. Three others are considered unlikely to occur due to a lack of suitable habitat.
One protected threatened species had potential to occur based on a single historic record. That record showed an occurrence within 1 mile in 2025.
The species remains subject to a specific rule on select conservation lands. None of those designated conservation lands sit within the project area.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a determination in 2026. The agency determined the development will have no effect on listed species.
The federal Endangered Species Act establishes protections for threatened animal populations. Environmental reviews evaluate potential conflicts between development and native species in Claremore.
The findings followed a full review of the proposed project scope.
