| February
23, 2004
Santa Fe, NM-A
coalition of scientists, realtors, homebuilders, private landowners,
religious organizations, retired military officials, conservation
and animal protection groups, and concerned citizens are filing
a petition today to list the Gunnison's prairie dog under
the federal Endangered Species Act.
Severe population
declines and reductions in acreage of the Gunnison's prairie
dog have occurred as the result of historic and current poisoning
and shooting, sylvatic plague, and habitat destruction. In
Arizona, Gunnison prairie dog occupied acreage has dwindled
by over 98%. 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 and other urban areas. Wildlife Services, a division
within the U.S. Department of Agriculture actively poisons
prairie dogs in Arizona. Arizona contains the largest known
complex (group of colonies) of Gunnison's prairie dogs in
Aubrey Valley.
"Protection
under the Endangered Species Act is vital for the Gunnison's
prairie dog. Besieged by poisoning, shooting, plague, and
loss of habitat, federal listing is urgent," stated Stephanie
Nichols-Young of Animal Defense League of Arizona.
Prairie dogs
are keystone species, which play an especially important role
in their ecosystems by creating habitat and providing a prey
base for a wide variety of predators. For example, black-footed
ferrets are among the most endangered mammals on earth, and
that imperiled status is traced directly to prairie dog declines.
Ferrets cannot survive in the wild outside of prairie dog
towns and over 90% of their diet is prairie dogs. Ferrets
have been reintroduced into the Aubrey Valley prairie dog
complex, beginning in 1996
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 coalition's
petition documents threats from plague, shooting, poisoning,
and habitat destruction (on both private and public lands)
throughout the four-state range of the Gunnison's prairie
dog. Among the petition's key findings:
§ Extreme
threat of plague: 2000s outbreak of plague has devastated
populations in northern Arizona & 80% of plague cases
in the U.S. are within Gunnison's range;
§ Lack of government protections: the largest population
of Gunnison's prairie dogs, in which black-footed ferrets
have been reintroduced, is unprotected;
§ Rampant shooting in Colorado: Over 200,000 prairie
dogs were shot in 2002 alone.
§ Government participation in poisoning: federal Wildlife
Services, National Park Service, and state agricultural agencies
continue to poison Gunnison's prairie dogs.
§ Massive threat from oil and gas: over 300,000 acres
have been offered by federal agencies for lease within range
of Gunnison's prairie dog just since 2002.
The Gunnison's
prairie dog is one of five species of prairie dog, all of
which are native to North America. The other four prairie
dog species have been listed under the Endangered Species
Act, are candidates awaiting listing, or have been petitioned
for listing. The Gunnison's prairie dog occurs in the four
corners area of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. Three-quarters
of its range occurs in Arizona and New Mexico.
For more background
information on the Gunnison's prairie dog, and to view the
listing petition, visit www.fguardians.org or call 505-988-9126x156.
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