Bitter Debate Continues Between Cattlemen, Politicians and Environmental Groups over Prairie Dog Poisonings

by Shelley Bluejay Pierce

July 9, 2007

SOUTH DAKOTA- An enormous storm is building across the prairies of South Dakota but not the kind that will bring the much-needed rain to the drought stricken area. The tug-of-war for control over the federally owned National Grasslands is the focal point. Cattle ranchers have their political supporters in place on one side and the environmentalists, combined with leading scientific authorities, are firmly entrenched on the opposite side.

At issue is a federally subsidized grazing permit system that has been in place since the 1930s. Without it, ranchers would have to pay much more to graze their herds on private lands. Environmentalists, fiscal conservatives and wildlife protection activists have been vocal critics of ranchers' use of federal lands, saying it shortchanges taxpayers and harms the environment.

Buffalo Gap, in southwestern South Dakota is the second largest grassland in the country with its over half-a-million acres. National Grasslands are overseen by the U.S. Forest Service. These are not parks with programmed activities and tourist oriented entertainment. Instead, they are public lands governed by a multi-use policy.

With only a small portion of wild grasslands remaining in the country, only one percent of the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands contains a small resemblance to what existed only a little over 100 years ago. Managed with taxpayer money, the United States Forest Service serves as caretaker for these publicly owned lands.

In response to pressure from cattlemen and political leaders, The U.S. Forest Service released a draft plan that may drastically increase the poisoning of black tailed prairie dog colonies this fall throughout the Buffalo Gap and Fort Pierre National Grasslands in South Dakota and the Oglala National Grassland in Nebraska. Widespread poisoning could kill tens of thousands of prairie dogs, which would jeopardize the continued recovery of the critically imperiled black-footed ferret, the most endangered mammal in North America. Prairie dogs are considered keystone species in the prairie ecosystem because so many other animals depend on them for food, shelter, or both.

"Twenty-five years ago, we were granted a rare second chance at saving the black-footed ferret from extinction," said Dr. Sterling Miller, senior wildlife biologist at the National Wildlife Federation's Northern Rockies Natural Resource Center. "After years of making black-footed ferret recovery a priority on these lands, the Forest Service is doing a complete one-eighty. In doing so, the Service is abandoning its responsibility to maintain healthy wildlife and habitat on these public lands for future generations of Americans to enjoy."

Eight conservation groups sued to halt the poisoning. They argued that the federal government was ignoring its own rules, which make ferrets (and the prairie dogs they eat) the top priority in managing the Conata Basin. A federal judge in Denver gave a negotiated settlement in response to the lawsuit that allows poisoning to begin, though on less acreage than the ranchers had demanded.

In response to the proposed poisoning plans, Senator John Thune, (Rep.-South Dakota) told Native American Times in an online interview, "I would like to see something most in line with what was proposed by the Fall River County Commissioners or the S.D. Game, Fish & Parks. It's important to have all the jurisdictions operating under similar prairie dog management rules and to give those agencies the proper tools needed to address problem areas."

As much as the cattlemen and politicians seem to hate prairie dogs, critical species depend almost entirely upon them for survival. Black-footed ferrets can only survive in areas with numerous large prairie dog colonies because ferrets depend on them for food and live only in prairie dog burrows. Prairie dogs are virtually the only creatures that black-footed ferrets do eat. The plans allow the poisoning of 40 percent of prairie dog colonies on three National Grasslands in South Dakota and Nebraska, including more than 4,000 acres in Conata Basin, home to the only self-sustaining ferret population in the world.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners have spent millions of U.S. taxpayers' dollars in recovery efforts for the black-footed ferrets. Grazing records indicate that the public lands in Conata Basin feed the equivalent of 700 head of cattle per year – even in non-drought years. At an estimated profit margin of $27 per head of livestock, millions of dollars spent on black-footed ferret recovery would be sacrificed for $19,000 of private profit per year.

"There is nothing happening at this point to protect the prairie dog populations and further, the species that depend upon their healthy colonies as a food source. Perhaps in a new administration, politically, the climate will change in terms of care for endangered species. However, at that point, the black tailed prairie dog populations will have declined even more dramatically if the poison control methods are used and we will find ourselves with the prairie dogs not only threatened as a species but potentially even qualified as an endangered species candidate for listing," explained Dr. Sterling Miller.

Tribal lands also host new black footed ferret populations, though these have not attained a full recovery or self-sustaining population. The Rosebud, Lower Brule and Cheyenne River agencies are active in hosting this endangered species on tribal lands.

"There are two or three reintroductions already underway on reservations in South Dakota, and I am not aware of any efforts to remove the reintroduction program from Conata Basin or anywhere else. My concern has always been with protecting the neighboring private landowners from encroachment of the prairie dogs, so the ranchers' property and livelihood is not destroyed or harmed if those reintroductions are not properly managed. I also have a concern that the federal land continues to be maintained in an environmentally sound way for multiple uses, so that grazing permits are protected and that there is grass there for the cows and calves as well. We don't want ranchers to become an endangered species too," explained Senator Thune.

The 9 year long drought has impacted both the cattle and the prairie dogs. Prairie dog colonies have expanded during the drought that in turn has offered greater food sources and denning opportunities for the black-footed ferret. The decline in grass production due to the drought also affects the cattle grazing on the permitted lands.

"What has the priority here? A dozen or so ranchers and their livestock? Or a highly endangered species who depends upon the prairie dog colonies and the lands in question," stated Dr. Sterling Miller.

In 2000 Fish and Wildlife Service found that prairie dogs were warranted for listing as a threatened species. The finalization of that listing status for black tailed prairie dogs was precluded because other species took priority for another 4 years. Throughout the years 2000 to 2004, the black tailed prairie dogs gained some ground due to many States cooperatively improving their management and laws governing the prairie dog control measure. There was multi-state prairie dog conservation team developed and funded by the 11 state Western Association of the Fish & Wildlife Agency to try and promote the care over the management efforts of the black tailed prairie dog control efforts.

"I am a United States taxpaying citizen. I am also a wildlife biologist. We the taxpayers, who have paid millions of dollars for black-footed ferret recovery in areas including Conata Basin, are now being forced to pay for the destruction of that which we paid to protect. What logic is ruling this kind of system? Taxpayers technically own the federal lands such as those at Conata Basin. Our tax dollars also pay for federal agencies to manage these lands. If we as taxpaying citizens cannot protect critically endangered species on publicly owned lands? Then where else can these critically needed efforts take place?" commented Mary Boucek, wildlife biologist and former Director of the Montana Raptor Conservation Center.

The public has 45 days to comment on the poisoning plan before the Forest Service issues its final Environmental Impact Statement. According to Defenders of Wildlife, National Wildlife Federation and World Wildlife Fund, there is still time to work out a compromise that meets the needs of both ranchers and wildlife in the region.

Send comments before July 23 to:
Nebraska National Forest
Attention: 2007 Prairie Dog DEIS Comments
125 North Main St.
Chadron, NE 69337
or email to: comments-rocky-mountain-nebraska@fs.fed.us
and include on the subject line: 2007 Prairie Dog DEIS comments.
The DEIS is available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/nebraska/
The Forest Service is not announcing or posting the "draft species at risk specialist report" for this plan (dated May 7, 2007) but it is posted on this website:
http://www.mhfj.org/PDFs/deis_specialist_rpt_5.07.2007.pdf