AR-News: (US) Stop South Dakota From Poisoning Prairie Dogs

[Mike Hudak]

Forwarded message from Jonathan Proctor at Predator Conservation Alliance.

Friends-

   sorry for the alliteration, but we wanted to let you know about a very
bad wildlife plan you can help stop!

South Dakota's Very Bad Prairie Dog Plan
The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) is
proposing a prairie dog management plan to poison prairie dogs--which
would be a giant step backwards for our American grasslands.  This plan
would roll back the current restrictions against poisoning on National
Grasslands, and result in the extermination of thousands of prairie
dogs in the state.  It could also force those landowners who like
prairie dogs to kill them within a 1/2 mile buffer of their property
limits.  

Why should we care about prairie dogs?
Because they, along with bison, are the "keystone species" of the
Northern Plains.  Black-footed ferrets, burrowing owls, swift fox, and
many other grassland animals all depend on prairie dogs for food and
habitat.  Without prairie dogs, the long-term survival of these other
animals, and the grasslands themselves, is unlikely.

What You Can Do:
Please let South Dakota know what you think about their plan!  (Written
comments must be received by 5 p.m., Friday, June 25.)  

   Written comments can be sent to S.D. Game, Fish and Parks, 523 E.
Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D. 57501,
or
faxed to (605) 773-6245 (please identify faxed comments by writing
Prairie Dog Comments at the beginning of your comments),
or
submitted at the prairie dog plan website at www.sdgfp.info/pdplan.htm.



Six Points for Prairie Dogs:
In your comments, please consider asking SDGFP to modify their plan on
these 6 points:


   1) Remove any requirement or suggestion to poison prairie dogs on
public lands, or force landowners to poison prairie dogs on their own
land.  Eliminate the creation of any prairie dog free
buffer-zones--because they don't work!  

   2) Instead of poisoning prairie dogs, promote land
exchanges/consolidation, voluntary landowner incentives, and
state-funded conservation easements on private lands to address the
concerns of landowners who do not want prairie dogs.  

   3) Help the Forest Service achieve their plans to restore prairie dog
towns by promoting prairie dog reintroduction, and closing target
shooting in the areas they designate for prairie dog increases.  This
includes several areas on the Buffalo Gap, Fort Pierre, and Grand River
National Grasslands.  

   4) Maintain at least the current black-tailed prairie dog occupied
acreage that now occurs on, and adjacent to, Conata Basin-Buffalo Gap
National Grassland, as agreed to in the multi-state conservation plan.
 

   5) Reinstate the recommendation from earlier drafts that poisoning
should be limited if the population reaches a  minimum level.  This was
removed from this draft for no apparent reason.

   6) Regulate prairie dog target shooting on all lands.  Currently,
limited seasonal closures occur only on public lands.  According to a
survey cited in the plan, an estimated 16,011 recreational shooters
killed approximately 1.5 million prairie dogs in South Dakota in 2001.
 

For more information or resources to provide more detailed comments,
please contact Jonathan Proctor of Predator Conservation Alliance,
303-376-4982, jonathan at predatorconservation.org


Thank you for speaking out for the entire prairie dog ecosystem!

_____________________________________
Jonathan Proctor, Grassland Program Associate
Predator Conservation Alliance
2900 E. 23rd Ave., Gate 7, Denver, CO  80205-5735
Phone: 303-376-4982; Fax: 303-376-4806
http://www.predatorconservation.org
"Saving a place for America's predators"

-- 
Mike Hudak, Ph.D., Director
Public Lands Without Livestock
38 Oliver Street
Binghamton, NY 13904-1516

Phone: 607.723.5769
Email: mailto:mikehudak at mikehudak.com
Web: http://www.mikehudak.com