WildEarth Guardians

Thursday, April 23, 2009
Earth Day Court Decision Threatens Hundreds of Federally Protected Prairie Dogs

WildEarth Guardians Will Appeal Ruling
Contact: WildEarth Guardians

DENVER - Today, WildEarth Guardians and the Utah Environmental Congress announced they will fight a court decision by Judge Clark Waddoups of the U.S. District Court in Utah, which allows the Cedar Ridge Golf Course and the Paiute Tribe to remove the federally protected prairie dogs from one of the largest remaining colonies.

Only 12,000 breeding animals are alive today-a small percentage of historic numbers. Utah prairie dogs are protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, which is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Judge Waddoups decision was issued on April 22-Earth Day.

“The court decision allows the Fish and Wildlife Service to continue sacrificing one of the few places where Utah prairie dogs are actually hanging on,” stated Lauren McCain of WildEarth Guardians. “We will be appealing this Earth Day ruling.”

WildEarth Guardians and the Utah Environmental Congress filed a lawsuit in October 2007 against the Fish and Wildlife Service for approving a plan that allows the Cedar Ridge Golf Course and the Paiute Tribe to remove Utah prairie dogs from their colonies. Under what is known as a Habitat Conservation Plan, the Fish and Wildlife Service has granted the Golf Course and the Tribe the power to relocate all prairie dogs on their lands to land that is marginal or unsuitable for prairie dog habitation.

These prairie dogs are part of the fourth largest colony of the threatened animals. Prairie dogs need large colonies for their existence. Relocation methods used under the Habitat Conservation Plan have resulted in less than a 10% prairie dog survival rate. The Fish and Wildlife Service rejected proposals by WildEarth Guardians to contain the Golf Course and Paiute prairie dogs in ways that would minimize human-animal conflicts and to use methods that would ensure a higher survival rate of relocated prairie dogs.

“Though it seems practical on the surface, the plan will be sentencing hundreds of imperiled prairie dogs to death,” added McCain. “The so-called Habitat Conservation Plan has nothing to do with conservation and everything to do with appeasing special interests.”

“We must appeal to the 10th Circuit because Judge Waddoup’s decision against this Threatened species was based in part on a dismissal of scientific findings that emerged later in the permit process, and that dismissal is in conflict with the higher Court’s precedents,” said Kevin Mueller.

WildEarth Guardians and the Utah Environmental Congress have been working to protect and recover the federally threatened Utah prairie dogs in a variety of ways. WildEarth Guardians petitioned the Fish and Wildlife Service to up-list the species from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2003, because of the animal’s severe imperilment. The group also petitioned the agency to lift a rule that allows the shooting of 6,000 Utah prairie dogs per year. WildEarth Guardians also produces an annual report card that assesses state progress in conserving all prairie dog species. UEC is Utah’s state-wide National Forest watchdog, working to protect wildlife and their habitats across Utah.