October 19, 2009

Attend Open House on Black-tailed Prairie
Dog Management

Photo Courtesy     Lindsey Sterling-Krank

Now is your last chance to tell Thunder Basin National Grassland managers to stop
poisoning black-tailed prairie dogs.

Please attend the upcoming public meeting!

Thursday, October 22, 2009
1:30pm at the Douglas Ranger District Office, 2250 E. Richards Street
Douglas, Wyoming

To RSVP contact Deputy District Ranger, Misty Hays at 307-358-7102 or mahays@fs.fed.us

Voice your concerns

Unless the Forest Service hears your objections, prairie dogs will be poisoned by the Forest Service under their preferred management action plan. 

The most commonly used poison, zinc phosphide, is toxic to most forms of animal life and can take15 hours or more to kill prairie dogs. Zinc phosphide is also toxic to birds, dogs, and cats.  Any predator or scavenger that consumes the entrails of a poisoned prairie dog is at risk and could die.

Decisions to be made by the Forest Supervisor include:

1. if and under what conditions poisons may be used
2. whether or not to change the boundary of the Black-footed Ferret Reintroduction Habitat
3. whether or not to implement changes in shooting restrictions
4. whether or not to adopt the Prairie Dog Management Strategy as outlined.

The Thunder Basin Prairie Dog Management Strategy Final Environmental Impact Statement can be read and downloaded at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/mbr/projects/forestplans/in_progress/index.shtml

Please use this opportunity tell the Forest Service:

• Do not poison prairie dogs on the Thunder Basin National Grasslands
• Black-tailed prairie dogs have already lost as much as 98% of their native habitat.
• It makes no sense to poison the black-tailed prairie dog when it is already threatened with extinction and is being considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
• At least nine other wildlife species and even household pets could be killed when prairie dogs are poisoned. This is not acceptable!
• Burrowing owls, hawks, eagles, swift foxes, Endangered black-footed ferrets and several other grasslands wildlife depend on large and healthy prairie dog populations for their survival.
• The Thunder Basin Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program has already been delayed for several years because black-tailed prairie dog populations have been too low to support ferret survival.
• There are safe and effective alternatives to the use of poisons such as prairie dog relocation programs.
  
  Thanks for all you do to protect wildlife and wild places!