PRAIRIE DOGS AND DEVELOPMENT
Development is an especially significant threat to prairie dogs in the Front Range of the
Colorado Rockies. While the historic conversion of short- and mid-grass prairie to agricultural use resulted in
the substantial reduction of prairie habitat in the Great Plains states, urbanization is an increasingly important
source of habitat loss for prairie dogs.
- Agricultural conversion has been largely replaced by urbanization. Some researchers argue
that urbanization "probably account[s] for most of the present losses to native prairies in the United States." Mulhern, Daniel W., and Craig J. Knowles. 1995. "Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Status and Future
Conservation Planning." In Conservation Biodiversity on Native Rangelands: Symposium Proceedings. Aug. 17,
1995, p. 20.
- The Colorado Division of Wildlife has acknowledged the threat development poses to prairie
dog towns, and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-commissioned researcher reported that development accounted for
a 25% drop in prairie dog acres in Colorado in recent years. See Colorado Division
of Wildlife statement by Dave Weber, 1994; Knowles, Craig J. 1998. "Status of the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog."
Prepared for USFWS. June 17, 1998.
- In addition to the Boulder/Denver metropolitan area, prairie dogs in areas such as Wichita,
KS; Helena, MT; and parts of Texas are threatened by development. See Knowles, Craig
J. 1995. "A Summary of Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Abundance and Distribution on the Central and Northern Great
Plains." Prepared for Defenders of Wildlife, Aug. 8, 1995; Rappole, J.H. and A.R. Tipton. 1987. "An Assessment
of Potentially Endangered Mammals of Texas. USFWS, Coop. Agreement #14-16-0002-86-927.
- The impact of development is total destruction for prairie dogs. There is widespread
intolerance to prairie dog persistence in urban and crop agricultural areas. See,
for example, The Nature Conservancy. 1995. "Element Stewardship Abstract for the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
(Cynomys ludovicianus)." Habitat
destruction through agricultural and municipal development is significant in two ways: 1) for the decrease in prairie
dog acreage which it causes; and 2) for the fragmented ecosystem it leaves behind.
Action! We have seen these tragedies played out many times
in the Front Range. The following developers have demonstrated their lack of compassion toward prairie dogs, and
we urge you to contact them and communicate your objections to their destruction of the prairie, and their killing
of prairie dogs:
- Koelbel Construction. This company poisoned an estimated 1500 prairie dogs on a large parcel
in Louisville, CO, even though it did not have imminent plans for development. Please call Buzz Koelbel at 303-758-1500.
- Dunn Properties Corporation and Carter CM Corporation. These companies were responsible
for the merciless gassing of a 31-acre site in Lafayette, CO, in March 1998. Please call Michael Dunn of Dunn Properties
at 303-770-3550.
To protect a colony in the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies,
we suggest the following steps (adapted from information provided by a prairie dog relocation group):
1. Look for signs which provide the name of the developer of the parcel. Signs usually include
a phone number. If no phone number is provided, look the number up in a phonebook.
2. Call the developer or manager immediately and ask what their plans are for the wildlife
on the parcel.
- Ask them if they can develop in such a way as to accommodate the current residents of the
parcel – the prairie dogs and their associated species. Please advise them that, if they must proceed with development
which will dislocate the parcel’s native wildlife, they should contact a prairie dog relocator such as The Wild
Places (303-449-1031).
- Advise the developer or manager that these relocation groups are volunteer and do not have
relocation land, so the burden is on the developer or manager to provide land and/or funds to acquire land for
the dislocated wildlife.
- We all need to decide what our goal is going to be. There are times when we can push for
no development, particularly given the rapid diminishment of natural areas in the Denver/Boulder metro region.
There are other times when development is imminent, and the only choice remaining may be to rescue prairie dogs
from death by bulldozer.
3. Next, call your city council person to alert his or her attention to this issue and the
response which you received from the developer or manager you spoke to in step 2. Do not let your city council
person brush the issue off. It is by far one of the most important wildlife issues in the Great Plains.
4. Call RMAD with the precise location and information gathered from the above steps.
Please send a clear message to developers
and policy-makers alike:
Remaining prairie dog colonies must be provided with maximum protection.
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