High noon for prairie dogs.The fate of that symbol of the plains states, he prairie dog, still hangs in the balance (see "Open Season on Varmints," cover story, July/August 2004). Last August the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service ) removed the black-tailed prairie dog The Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), is a rodent of the family sciuridae found in the Great Plains of North America from about the USA-Canada border to the USA-Mexico border. Unlike some other prairie dogs, these animals do not truly hibernate. from the Endangered Species Act The federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C.A. §§ 1531 et seq.) was enacted to protect animal and plant species from extinction by preserving the ecosystems in which they survive and by providing programs for their conservation. official candidate list, where it had sat awaiting funds for protection. The removal occurred under pressure from former South Dakota U.S. Senator Tom Daschle (D) and his successor, John Thune (R). At the same time, South Dakota announced plans for a massive prairie dog poisoning effort. The white-tailed prairie dog The White-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys leucurus) is found in western Wyoming and western Colorado with small areas in eastern Utah and southern Montana. The largest populations are in Wyoming. never came close to listing. On November 9, the USFWS announced it had rejected a petition for federal protection, claiming insufficient information. Activists smell political meddling med·dle intr.v. med·dled, med·dling, med·dles 1. To intrude into other people's affairs or business; interfere. See Synonyms at interfere. 2. To handle something idly or ignorantly; tamper. . "The conservation assessment was more than 150 pages," says Erin Robertson of The Center for Native Ecosystems. "We have 10 years worth of data showing continued declines. How can they claim they don't even have enough information to investigate?" "We are going to have to go back to court," Robertson says. "Taxpayer money is going to be wasted on lawsuits instead of being spent on keeping the species from going extinct." CONTACT: Center for Native Ecosystems, (303)546-0214, www.nativeecosystems.org. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion