RMAD
Press Release
August 11, 2000
For
immediate release
Contacts:
Mark Taylor, DVM – 970-641-2460
RMAD
Press Release | |
BLM and DOW Drag Feet on Gunnison Prairie Dog Relocations
Gunnison,
CO – August 11, 2000 - In Gunnison, Colorado, the town’s last remaining viable
colony of gunnison’s prairie dogs is threatened by development. Approximately
half of the colony was bulldozed alive last week, and the rest are expected to
meet the same fate in two weeks, when construction of a new True Value Hardware
begins. The developers have stated they are amenable to relocation, but there
is no approved relocation site for the displaced animals. Both the Colorado Division
of Wildlife (CDOW) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manage suitable land
nearby, but neither agency is willing to take the prairie dogs. Each agency cites
political obstacles. Private land is being sought for a relocation, but time is
running short. The CDOW will not issue a permit to relocate until a receiving
site has been approved.
The
BLM is currently revising its management plan to include prairie dog conservation,
but they do not plan to be finished with the document until next year. Meanwhile,
they are unwilling to step forward to save one of the very last colonies of prairie
dogs in the entire city. District Manager Barry Tollefson stated that the agency
has its hands tied. The CDOW recently purchased the Centennial Property just outside
of the city limits, but agency officials state that they are unable to relocate
there, since the property was purchased using federal funds and is therefore subject
to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). An environmental analysis would
have to be undertaken, and the review process could take months. What the agencies
neglect to mention, however, is that a categorical exclusion may be used to bypass
this process in cases with negligible adverse impact.
The gunnison’s
prairie dog has a restricted geographic range, being confined to the four corners
area of Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Within that range, this small
mammal has suffered decline, and currently faces threats from development and
agriculture. This species of prairie dog serves as a prey base for raptors and
mammals, and creates habitat for other wildlife species. However, neither state
nor federal wildlife agencies have seen fit to perform an inventory of remaining
colonies. Joe Capodice, a wildlife biologist with BLM stated, that, were they
to perform such an inventory, there is little doubt in his mind that the species
would warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act. There simply just aren’t
many of them left.
“While the BLM
and CDOW make excuses, the last colony in the city will be crushed by bulldozers.
We must demand more from those agencies responsible for public land management
and wildlife protection,” states Rocky Mountain Animal Defense. “Either agency
could easily use a categorical exclusion to justify a relocation for such a small
number of animals. They do it all the time for environmentally damaging actions
on public lands. Why not do it to protect wildlife?”
“We’ve tried
everything,” says Mark Taylor, a Gunnison veterinarian who has been fighting to
save the colony. “The local agency heads seem to be intentionally dragging their
feet, hoping that, if they wait long enough, the gunnison’s prairie dog will go
extinct, and their problem will be solved. Is this the best that we can expect
from the agencies charged with protecting our public wildlife?”
Rocky Mountain Animal Defense is a non-profit Colorado organization whose mission is to help eliminate the human-imposed suffering of animals in the Rocky Mountain region.
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