White-tailed prairie dog survey about to begin

[Len Backus]

A multi-state survey of white-tailed prairie dogs is about to begin. What biologists find will be a major factor in deciding whether white-tailed prairie dogs are placed on the federal list of threatened and endangered species.
photo
DWR biologists will survey white-tailed prairie dog populations in Utah this spring. The surveys will help them know how well white-tailed prairie dog populations are doing in the state.

Photo by Tony Wright

Biologists with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) will survey white-tailed prairie dogs in Rich, Daggett, Duchesne, Uintah, Carbon, Emery and Grand counties. The surveys will start in early April.

The multi-state survey will be done in partnership with the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA). By monitoring white-tailed prairie dogs once every three years, the WAFWA believes it can demonstrate to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that white-tailed prairie dogs are being well managed by the individual states.

"Outbreaks of plague periodically reduce prairie dog numbers. But most colonies recover when the disease has run its course and when prairie dogs have good range conditions," says Tony Wright, regional sensitive species biologist for the DWR.

How the survey will run

DWR biologists will survey 165 randomly selected 60-acre plots starting in early April. Tribal land is the only land that won't be included in the survey. If a random plot is located on private property, the biologists will contact the landowner and ask for permission to access their property.

Biologists in Colorado and Wyoming will also conduct surveys in their states. Analyzing this data over a period of years will give biologists a clear picture of the health of the population over its three-state range.

Reason for the survey

In response to a petition by citizens and environmental groups, the USFWS issued a prairie-dog decision in October 2004. The decision found that listing the white-tailed prairie dog under the federal Endangered Species Act was not warranted.

However, on Feb. 26, 2008 the USFWS overturned its finding after acknowledging that improper political interference had occurred in the decision-making process.

A new status review of the white-tailed prairie dog will start this spring. A new decision on whether the prairie dog should be included on the Endangered Species list is due on June 1, 2010.

"The results of this spring's survey will play an important role in documenting that white-tailed prairie dogs are widely distributed and adequately managed by the Western states," Wright says.

Biologists need access to private land

In 2007, the DWR participated in a similar multi-state survey for another prairie dog—the Gunnison's prairie dog.

The 2007 survey was conducted in San Juan County. DWR biologists provided their data to the USFWS in October 2007. After examining what they found, the USFWS concluded that the Gunnison's prairie dog was warranted for listing in portions of Colorado and New Mexico, but not in Utah.

"We feel the data we provided the USFWS played a role in helping them make a correct assessment of the situation in Utah," Wright says.

Wright says if the white-tailed prairie dog is listed on the federal list, it would change the ability Utahns have to use both public and private land in the state. "We feel it's important to provide objective, defensible data to the USFWS and to demonstrate the state's commitment to manage this species," he says.

Wright says the survey is not being funded by sportsmen's dollars. Instead, it's being funded through a grant from the state's Endangered Species Mitigation Fund. The Bureau of Land Management and other federal sources will match the state's money.

"We're asking the public to cooperate with us just like they did in San Juan County in 2007," Wright says. "Together, we can avoid the unnecessary listing of another species as threatened or endangered."

For more information, contact your regional DWR sensitive species biologist. You can reach them in the Rich County area at (801) 476-2740, at (435) 781-9453 in northeastern Utah and at (435) 613-3700 in southeastern Utah.

[Buffalobob]

"We feel it's important to provide objective, defensible data to the USFWS and to demonstrate the state's commitment to manage this species," he says.

That is about the only thing I ever did. Just try to maintain your own honest and integrity and get good scientific data and use it to make a decision. Interestingly enough, I really enjoyed my years working in Utah because much of their management has always been based upon good data and good science. Of course we always make mistakes and there is always political manipulations but it was a good place for an engineer to work.

Also it is noted, that Utah has already instituted management measures for prairie dogs to protect them during the spring. Progressive management is always a good thing so you are not forced into a reactive mode.

I do think that it is curious that the prairie dog hunters are not funding the study being as they are the ones who want to keep on shooting them. I didn't ever shoot any of them when I was there because I preferred to shoot jack rabbits (running).