Conservations Send Notice of Intent to Sue Feds over Gunnison's Prairie Dog 

N E W S
DATE: July 29, 2004
CONTACT:
Nicole Rosmarino, Ph.D, Forest Guardians – (505) 988-9126 x156
Erin Robertson, Biologist, Center for Native Ecosystems (303) 546-0214
Dr. Constantine Slobodchikoff, prairie dog biologist (928) 699-2787



Protecting the
Southwest's Wild
Forests,
Rivers and
Grasslands
312 Montezuma, Ste. A, Santa Fe, NM 87501 505/ 988-9126


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Endangered Species Bottleneck Continues:  Scientists & Conservation Groups Pressure Feds for Prairie Dog Petition Finding

Santa Fe, NM—July 29. Scientists and conservation groups today sent a Notice of Intent to Sue the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) over the agency's failure to issue a timely finding on the petition to list the Gunnison's prairie dog under the Endangered Species Act. A broad coalition of private landowners, realtors, homebuilders, military officers, scientists, religious organizations, conservation and animal protection groups submitted the petition to the Service in late February. Under the Endangered Species Act, the Service is required to determine within 90 days of receiving a petition whether there is sufficient information to merit a status review on the petitioned species. That finding was due in late May but has not yet been issued. Under the Bush Administration, the Service is routinely failing to meet petition deadlines.

"The Gunnison's prairie dog is slipping away due to an onslaught of threats, and it urgently needs federal protection," stated Dr. Nicole Rosmarino of Forest Guardians. Rosmarino continued, "We refuse to let the Service stick its head in the sand while this imperiled and ecologically vital mammal plummets."

Gunnison's prairie dogs have declined by over 90% across their range due to historic and current poisoning and shooting, sylvatic plague, and habitat  destruction. Over the past several years, plague has devastated prairie dog populations across large areas in northern Arizona. Habitat destruction has resulted in prairie dog acreage reductions in Flagstaff, AZ and Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos, NM. Rampant shooting of Gunnison's prairie dogs occurs in Colorado and escalating oil and gas development is eroding remaining prairie dog habitat in several states.

While alarmed at the lack of a timely petition finding for the Gunnison's prairie dog, the Service's failure to meet federal environmental requirements is not unexpected. The Bush Administration has listed fewer species under the Endangered Species Act than any other administration since the law's passage in 1973. Only 31 species in total have been listed under Bush, and all of those listings have been ordered by the courts. In contrast, the Clinton Administration listed 65 species per year and the George H. W. Bush Administration listed an average of 59 species every year.  Though the present administration cynically cites underfunding as its excuse for failing to protect imperiled species, for years it has been asking Congress to chronically starve the program of funding.

"The Bush Administration is desperately trying to dismantle our nation's most important conservation laws," observed Erin Robertson, Staff Biologist for Center for Native Ecosystems. "The Service's delay on providing urgently needed protection to the Gunnison's prairie dog is just one more sign of the Administration's misguided crusade against the environment."

Gunnison's prairie dogs also have a highly complex communication system - the most sophisticated yet documented among non-human animals. Northern Arizona University's Dr. Con Slobodchikoff has pioneered research over the past two decades that has demonstrated a prairie dog language system which distinguishes between types of predators, specific characteristics of humans, and indicates learning and memory.

"Our findings on the complexity of prairie dog communications should inspire us to take a second look at this animal. Rather than viewing prairie dogs as varmints, it's time to recognize that they are fascinating and important components of the natural landscape," stated Dr. Con Slobodchikoff of Northern Arizona University.

The scientists and conservation groups issuing the Notice of Intent to Sue are Gunnison's prairie dog biologists Dr. Constantine Slobodchikoff and Jennifer Verdolin, M.S., Forest Guardians (Santa Fe), Center for Native Ecosystems (Denver), Animal Protection of New Mexico (Albuquerque), Animal Defense League of Arizona (Tucson), Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (Salt Lake City), Utah Environmental Congress (Salt Lake City), and Rocky Mountain Animal Defense (Boulder, CO).

For a copy of the Notice of Intent to Sue, click here. For more information see Forest Guardians Gunnison's prairie dog webpage, or contact Dr. Rosmarino by email nrosmarino(at)fguardians.org.

Updated 19 July 2006 .