HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-037-03/10/1998-ADOPTING A PRAIRIE DOG POLICY FOR CITY NATURAL AREAS RESOLUTION 98-37
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
ADOPTING A PRAIRIE DOG POLICY FOR
CITY NATURAL AREAS
WHEREAS,the Council previously established a Prairie Dog Policy Review Committee(the
"Review Committee"), consisting of City staff and various members of the community, in order to
examine and consider possible modification of the City's existing policies with regard to
management of prairie dogs; and
WHEREAS, the Review Committee reviewed a large volume of background information
regarding prairie dogs and prairie dog management, and the City's policies in that regard, and met
four times during the autumn of 1997, to discuss the City's current policies and related issues; and
WHEREAS, based on that review and discussion, the Review Committee concluded that
additional clarity and definition would improve the usefulness and effectiveness of the City's
policies regarding management of prairie dogs in the City's natural areas; and
WHEREAS, the Review Committee developed a number of policy statements in the form
of the Proposed Prairie Dog Policy for City Natural Areas, attached hereto as Exhibit "A" (the
"Prairie Dog Policy"); and
WHEREAS,the Prairie Dog Policy is consistent with the adopted Natural Areas Policy Plan;
and
WHEREAS,the Review Committee presented the Prairie Dog Policy to the public at an open
house on November 10, 1997, and solicited public comment regarding the Prairie Dog Policy; and
WHEREAS,the Prairie Dog Policy has been endorsed by the two interdepartmental teams
of City staff that guide the management of the City's natural areas,the Open Lands Guidance Team
and the Open Lands/Natural Areas Management Team; and
WHEREAS,the Natural Resources Advisory Board and the Parks and Recreation Board each
considered the Prairie Dog Policy and unanimously approved the Prairie Dog Policy, as revised to
reflect their comments.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS, that the Prairie Dog Policy for City natural areas, attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and
incorporated herein by this reference, is hereby adopted, and the City Manager is hereby directed to
manage all City natural areas in a manner consistent with said Policy.
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held)this loth day of March,
A.D. 1998.
Nrayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk QQS
Exhibit A
PROPOSED a$
PRAIRIE DOG POLICY
FOR CITY NATURAL AREAS
Date: February 11, 1998
Prepared by
Prairie Dog Policv Review Committee
Phil Murphy, Committee Chair (Natural Resources Advisory Board Chair)
Bill Bertschy (City Council)
Darin Atteberry (Assistant City Manager)
Virgil Taylor (Parks Division)
Karen Manci (Natural Resources Department)
Phil Friedman (Natural Resources Advisory Board)
Randy Fischer (Natural Resources Advisory Board)
Bill Miller (Natural Resources Advisory Board)
Lance Freeman (Parks & Recreation Board)
Del Price (Parks & Recreation Board)
Jerry Craig (Colorado Division of Wildlife)
Gene Schoonveld (Colorado Division of Wildlife)
Ken Gage (U.S. Dep. Health & Human Serv.,, Centers for Disease Control)
Rich Grossman (Larimer County Environmental Health Dep.)
Bill Andelt (Colorado State University Extension Wildlife Program)
Ray Hogler (Pineridge neighbor)
Linda Cain (Sierra Club)
William Terry (interested citizen)
The City of Fort Collins will make reasonable accommodations for access to City
services, programs, and activities, and will make special communication
arrangements for persons with disabilities. Please call 221-6310 for assistance.
City of Fort Collins
Community Planning and Environmental Services
Natural Resources Department
281 N. College Avenue,P.O. Box 580
City of Fod COMM Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580
Phone: (970)221-6600
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In May 1997, the City planned to exterminate prairie dogs in narrow buffer areas on the
edges of several natural areas where colonies were expanding into residential areas.
Less than 1% of City-owned prairie dog colonies on natural areas were targeted for
fumigation. A group of people opposed to the killing of prairie dogs requested that City
Council cancel the fumigation. Fumigation was delayed until the group had relocated
some of the prairie dogs. Due to this controversy, the Natural Resources Advisory
Board (NRAB)forwarded a recommendation to City Council that the City examine its
current prairie dog policies. A Prairie Dog Policy Review Committee made up of City
staff and various members of the community was formed to accomplish this task.
Each Committee member was provided a 930-page notebook of prairie dog ecology
and management material. The notebook included the results of a "Prairie Dog
Management Questionnaire," which Natural Resources staff sent to 50 agencies along
the Front Range in July 1997 (see Appendix A) and a summary of"Current Policies and
Guidelines" (see Section II), as well as "Current Practices and Techniques" (see
Section III) used by the City to manage prairie dogs.
The Committee discussed the City's current prairie dog policies during four evening
meetings from September through November. In general, they felt that the City's prairie
dog policy was not clearly articulated in current documents and that the policies related
to prairie dogs needed to be better defined.
The Committee developed their own philosophy statement regarding prairie dog
management (see Section IV) and formulated 32 policy statements to guide actions
taken by the City of Fort Collins to maintain prairie dog colonies on City natural areas
(Section V). The policy statements include the following topics: Policy Application,
Land Protection, Education, Natural Control, Research and Experimentation, Barriers,
Relocation, Disease Control, and Fumigation.
Public comments were received on the proposed policies via an open house in mid-
November followed by an additional comment period. Comments were received from
25 individuals (see Appendix B). City staff comments were requested through two
interdepartmental teams that guide management of natural areas; both teams approved
the proposed Prairie Dog Policy.
The NRAB and Parks and Recreation Board held a joint meeting on December 3, 1997
to discuss the proposed Prairie Dog Policy. Both boards further discussed the policy at
subsequent separate board meetings and unanimously approved the proposed Prairie
Dog Policy with minor editorial revisions (Parks and Recreation Board: January 28,
1998; NRAB: February 4, 1998). Council will consider adoption of the proposed Prairie
Dog Policy at their March 3, 1998, Council Session.
i-Proposed Policy
CONTENTS
I. BACKGROUND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
II. CURRENT POLICIES AND GUIDELINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Natural Areas Policy Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Natural Areas Management Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
City Animal Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
City Land Use Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
III. CURRENT PRACTICES AND TECHNIQUES 5
Land Acquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Barrier and Predator Enhancement Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Relocation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Fumigation . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Research Efforts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
IV. COMMITTEE POLICY REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Philosophy Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
V. PROPOSED PRAIRIE DOG POLICY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Policy Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Land Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Natural Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Research and Experimentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Barriers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Relocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Disease Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 14
Fumigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
VI. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
VII. REVIEW AND APPROVAL STEPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Public Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Staff Input and Approval. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
NextSteps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Appendix A: PRAIRIE DOG QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY (3 pp.)
Appendix B: SUMMARY OF PUBLIC COMMENTS (4 pp.)
ii-Proposed Policy
(. BACKGROUND
Management of prairie dogs is a very controversial issue in Fort Collins and elsewhere
along the Front Range and likely will remain so. Some people do not want to see the
City kill a single prairie dog, no matter what the reason, while others urge eradication of
all prairie dogs within the City. In between are many residents who support
conservation of prairie dogs and prairie ecosystems, but understand the need to do
limited prairie dog population control—to minimize conflict with adjacent landowners, or
to restore degraded habitat to native grassland so that the large prairie dog colonies
remain intact and healthy.
In late spring 1997, the City planned to exterminate (by the use of Fumitoxin) prairie
dogs in narrow buffer areas on the edges of several natural areas where colonies were
expanding into residential areas. Landowners had requested assistance from the City
in controlling expansion of the colonies onto private land. Less than 1% of City-owned
prairie dog colonies on natural areas were targeted for fumigation. In all cases this was
to install or maintain prairie dog barriers on the urban fringe that serve to decrease
movement of prairie dogs onto adjacent private property.
A group of people opposed to the killing of prairie dogs made a request to City Council
to cancel the fumigation. Fumigation was delayed until the Prairie Ecosystem
Conservation Alliance (PECA) could relocate some of the prairie dogs to the Rocky
Mountain Arsenal. PECA was not able to relocate all prairie dogs; thus, the City
fumigated remaining prairie dogs in the buffer areas.
Due to the controversy created by the fumigation, the Natural Resources Advisory
Board (NRAB) forwarded a recommendation to City Council that the City examine its
current prairie dog policies. Several NRAB members met with representatives of City
Council, City Manager's Office, Parks, and Natural Resources to establish a procedure
to re-examine the City's prairie dog management policies. The group made a decision
to establish a Prairie Dog Policy Review Committee made up of a City councilmember,
City staff, other professionals in the community, representatives of the NRAB and Parks
and Recreation Board, and other interested citizens.
In preparation for the review by the Committee, the Natural Resources Department
prepared a summary of current policies, guidelines, practices, and techniques used by
the City of Fort Collins to manage prairie dog ecosystems. The Prairie Dog Policy
Committee felt that this information was important to provide in this document prior to
the presentation of their proposed Prairie Dog Policy.
1-Proposed Policy
II. CURRENT POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
The City of Fort Collins currently has adopted a number of policies and guidelines that relate
to prairie dog conservation and management.
Natural Areas Policy Plan
The City's policies and guidelines regarding prairie dog conservation and management stem
from the 1992 Natural Areas Policy Plan (NAPP). That document established the following
overall goal:
Preserve and protect natural areas within Fort Collins and the Urban Growth Area to
provide habitat essential to the conservation of plants, animals, and their associated
ecosystems and to enrich the lives of citizens by providing opportunities for education,
scientific research, nature interpretation, art, fishing, wildlife observation, hiking, and
other activities.
The NAPP established several objectives and a variety of policies that in essence form a
"toolbox" for natural area conservation in Fort Collins. The various conservation tools
include land acquisition, regulatory programs, habitat restoration, animal population control,
minimizing conflict between people and wildlife, public education and information, research,
and a variety of other action strategies that are needed to protect and provide long-term
stewardship for key natural areas in the community.
The NAPP identified the large remaining grassland sites and prairie dog colonies as critical
conservation sites in the community. The City's goal for these sites is to protect and manage
them so that they may support extensive prairie ecosystems with prairie dog colonies that
benefit numerous other native wildlife species, to minimize wildlife conflicts with adjacent
landowners, and to provide a high quality wildlife viewing experience for the citizens of Fort
Collins.
Natural Areas Management Guidelines
The City's general policies regarding prairie dog management are contained within the
"General Management Guidelines for City-owned Open Spaces and Natural Areas." The
plan was written by the Open Lands Natural Areas Management Team (OLNA), which
consists of staff from Forestry, Natural Resources, Parks, Park Planning and Development,
Recreation, and Stormwater. The guidelines received extensive public and citizen board
review. The Parks and Recreation Board and Natural Resources Advisory Board both
unanimously approved the guidelines in early summer 1994.
City Council reviewed and commented on the guidelines at their July 26, 1994, Council
Worksession. During the worksession, City Council members directed staff that there was
no need for further formal adoption of the guidelines by Council nor a need for Council
review or formal adoption of individual site management plans. The general guidelines were
revised after the Council review and finalized in October 1994. An update of the guidelines
occurred in September 1995; however, no request was made to change the prairie dog
2-Proposed Policy
management policy item at that time.
The guidelines for prairie dogs on sites classified as Sensitive Natural Areas (these include
all sites currently containing large prairie dog colonies) state:
Maintain existing large colonies. Remove (1) within buffer areas along bordering
property if City staff determines this is necessary to prevent damage to such property,
(2) if necessary for grassland restoration, or(3) if mandated by Larimer County
Environmental Health Department for plague outbreak in the colony on the site.
On sites classified as Urban Natural Areas (sites not containing a particularly sensitive
wildlife or plant species—none currently contain prairie dogs), the guidelines for prairie dogs
state:
Remove unless a small, controlled colony is designated to provide educational and
research values.
On sites classified as Restorative Natural Areas, the guidelines for prairie dogs state:
Remove unless goal of restoration includes creating or maintaining a large colony.
On sites classified as Greenways (small stormwater detention areas, mowed 3-4 times a
year) and Parks (developed and undeveloped), the guidelines for prairie dogs state:
Remove to protect on-site vegetation.
More detailed, site specific management strategies for prairie dog control are (and will be)
contained in management plans for sites containing prairie dogs (e.g., Cathy Fromme Prairie
Management Plan, June 1995; Foothills Natural Areas Management Plan, January 1997).
Site plans also receive extensive public review and approval by Parks and Recreation Board
and Natural Resources Advisory Board.
City Animal Code
In 1995, the City reviewed and revised their Animal Ordinance. To comply with
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements and to clarify the City Code, the code
regarding use of poisons was revised to read:
No person shall poison any animal or distribute poison in any manner with the intent to
poison any animal, except that mice, rats, or any rodents other than hamsters, guinea
pigs and squirrels may be poisoned by the use of poisonous substance approved for
such use by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This prohibition shall
not apply to persons regularly engaged in the business of fumigation or pest
extermination and licensed by the state of Colorado;provided, however, that such
persons may use only fumigants to destroy prairie dogs or other burrowing rodents.
Two other commonly used extermination methods are not allowed in the Fort Collins urban
3-Proposed Policy
area: (1) use of poison grain and (2) shooting prairie dogs. Poison grain (zinc phosphide) is
placed above ground at burrow entrances. Other non-target animals (e.g., birds, other
rodents) will die if they eat the poison grain. The EPA prohibits the use of poison grain in
urban areas due to the chance of small children picking up the poison grain and eating it, as
well as pets eating the grain or birds/rodents above ground that have died from eating the
poison grain. The poison could remain viable in the grain some time after application above
ground. Animals die more slowly by ingesting poison grain than by the fumigation method.
Death by ingesting poison grain can take up to 30 hours.
The City does not allow the use of firearms for killing prairie dogs or any other wildlife
species unless under very controlled conditions and conducted by Colorado Division of
Wildlife (CDOW) officers (e.g., in the case of a mountain lion or bear immediately
threatening human life where the animal cannot be tranquilized and moved to another area).
While many believe shooting the animals is the most humane way to kill prairie dogs, the
City does not feel that this is appropriate within Fort Collins.
City Land Use Code
In March of 1997, the City adopted City Plan and the associated Land Use Code to guide
and regulate new developments. Prairie dogs were specifically addressed in Article 3,
General Development Standards, under"Protection of Wildlife Habitat and Ecological
Character" with regard to prairie dog removal from sites to be developed:
Prairie dog removal. Before the commencement of construction on the development
site, any prairie dogs inhabiting portions of the site within the limits of development
shall be relocated or humanely eradicated by the developer by city approved methods
as set forth in Chapter 4 of the Code, and when applicable, as reviewed and approved
by the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
In addition, the issue of wildlife conflict was also addressed in Article 3, making the
developer responsible for providing mechanisms to minimize the conflicts:
Wildlife conflicts. if wildlife that may create conflicts for the future occupants of the
development (including, but not limited to, prairie dogs, beaver, deer and rattlesnakes)
are known to exist in areas adjacent to or on the development site, then the
development plan must, to the extent reasonably feasible, include provisions such as
barriers, protection mechanisms for landscaping and other site features to minimize
conflicts that might otherwise exist between such wildlife and the developed portion of
the site.
However, this revision does not include developments approved prior to City Plan (prior to
March 28, 1997).
4-Proposed Policy
III. CURRENT PRACTICES AND TECHNIQUES
Land Acquisition
Although the City once kept prairie dogs out of their open spaces entirely, in the late 1980's,
the policy was changed to allow prairie dogs to expand on City lands if sites were suitable in
size and habitat components to eventually support a large prairie dog colony. By winter
1991-92, prairie dogs occupied about 2,065 acres within and adjacent to the Fort Collins
Urban Growth Area; only about 13% of this land was protected as City natural area, the rest
of the acreage was primarily privately-owned land awaiting development.
With the adoption of the NAPP in 1992 and subsequent voter-approved sales tax for natural
areas, the City began to actively pursue acquisition of additional suitable lands to preserve
large prairie dog colonies on property that would be eventually developed. To date, the City
owns about 1,700 acres of prairie dog colonies in the natural areas system. The City has not
been able to acquire all the 2,065 acres of prairie dog colonies determined in 1991-92 to be
of value for winter raptors due to City policy that land is only acquired from willing sellers. In
all cases, the City attempted to purchase these lands; however, some landowners preferred
to develop the land instead of to sell to the City for ultimate preservation as a natural area.
The City's goal is to make up for the loss of these lands by purchasing land within the Fort
Collins-Loveland corridor that currently does not contain prairie dogs, restoring land to native
prairie, and allowing prairie dogs to expand into suitable areas to make up for prairie dog
habitat that has been lost to development. Currently, the City owns such a suitable site,
Coyote Ridge Natural Area, at the base of the foothills and south of the Landfill. Prairie dogs
are already starting to colonize the site since City purchase; a 315-acre old wheat field could
be reseeded with native grasses and wildflowers before the colony expands much further to
make up for the acreage lost to development.
Barrier and Predator Enhancement Methods
At the request of adjacent landowners, the City has used a number of techniques to try to
reduce the amount of prairie dog movement to adjacent private property. These include the
installation of solid vinyl barrier fence (prairie dogs prefer to see their surroundings to be on
the look-out for predators, so tend to not burrow near barriers), berming (earthen barriers),
shrub plantings (to eventually serve as a more aesthetically pleasing barrier fence, hiding
sites/cover for prairie dog predators, and additional wildlife habitat for songbirds, etc.), straw
bales (hiding sites/cover for coyotes and fox that prey on prairie dogs), and raptor perches
(for avian predators). These methods, while serving successfully to reduce the need for
eradication, cannot always prevent prairie dogs from moving into unsuitable areas. Barriers
may never provide a complete deterrent (obstruction) to prairie dog movement into adjacent
areas.
Vegetative barriers and berming are long-term methods to limit prairie dog expansion; vinyl
barriers are short-term methods (5-year life of material). However, none of these methods
can ever be considered to be a complete barrier to prairie dog movement. The intended use
of barriers and predator enhancements is to reduce the amount of eradication. Prairie dogs
5-Proposed Policy
can get around anything unless a site is totally enclosed with a 3-foot tall, solid barrier buried
up to 14 feet underground and made of concrete or other material that they could not
penetrate. This would be impossible to build except at a small colony not intersected by any
drainages (water must be able to leave a site), roads, or trails. Young-of-the-year prairie
dogs will move up to 5 miles to colonize a new site once they are "kicked" out of their birth
colony by dominant adults; they will use roadways, trails, and drainages to access new sites.
Relocation
Many people, concerned about each individual prairie dog, have made requests to the City
that no prairie dog ever be eradicated or, at the very least, to only relocate prairie dogs. The
City has worked with the Prairie Ecosystem Conservation Alliance (PECA) from Aurora,
Colorado, to relocate prairie dogs on a proposed parking lot site. (Note: Relocation did not
take place at that time because the City decided to move the parking lot to a different
location where prairie dogs would not be impacted by the construction.) Unfortunately,
relocation sites are difficult to find. Few agencies and private landowners are willing to
accept prairie dogs from another location along the Front Range. If prairie dogs are needed
to recolonize their sites (usually because plague has eradicated on-site colonies), agencies
prefer to bring in prairie dogs from the immediate area—their experiences indicate that this is
more successful and less likely to result in a plague outbreak at the colony.
The OLNA Management Team and other professionals have some major concerns regarding
prairie dog relocation. These include: (1) human health risks (potentially exposing
volunteers to plague and other diseases carried by prairie dogs because animals are
handled by volunteers); (2) stress/death to relocated animals (animals killed during capture,
which involves flooding burrows with water, and resulting deaths during movement to new
colony and after being released on new site); (3) impacts to prairie dog populations by
moving Fort Collins' animals to Boulder or Denver area (e.g., introduction of potentially new
diseases and species of fleas to colonies not adapted as the Fort Collins populations are);
(4) disruption of social structures of tightly knit prairie dog family groups (i.e., coteries) that
may increase mortality; (5) absence of viable relocation sites; and (6) public perception that
if the City uses relocation, then only relocation will be used (i.e., if sites are no longer
available for relocation, or not enough animals can be removed by volunteers, then the City
will not be able to use fumigation to reduce the conflicts with adjacent neighbors).
Relocation of prairie dogs includes capturing the animals by hand as they are flushed out of
their burrows with water mixed with detergent. It is possible that the timing could be such
that the animals/fleas are carrying plague, but that the prairie dogs have not succumbed to
the disease yet. Thus, volunteers or staff could contract plague. Although not probable, this
is a possibility.
Prairie dogs, as well as other rodents, can carry plague—a disease transmitted by fleas. The
disease, caused by a bacterium, can be fatal to humans if not treated; treatment with
antibiotics is effective during the early stages of the disease. The disease is transmitted to
people through flea (possibly introduced by domestic dogs and other pets) bites or direct
contact with infected animals (e.g., prairie dogs, ground squirrels, domestic cats). Normally,
people do not come into direct contact with prairie dogs or their fleas. In the past 5 years,
6-Proposed Policy
plague associated with prairie dogs has been found at several colonies within Fort Collins.
So far in 1997, plague has been detected at six sites in Larimer County; two sites were City-
owned natural areas. Larimer County Environmental Health Department reported three
cases of plague in humans over the past 4 years (one case was attributed to prairie dogs).
There have been human deaths in Colorado from plague carried by prairie dogs.
Fumigation
To comply with EPA requirements and City Code, the only method of extermination available
to the City is fumigation. Aluminum phosphide tablets (Fumitoxin and other brands) are
dropped down the holes, holes are plugged with newspaper, and all animals in the burrows
die. Pest exterminators do not place the tablets down holes occupied by non-target animals
(e.g., burrowing owls, badgers, foxes). Exterminators are trained in identifying burrows used
by these animals by the type of excrement around the burrow and burrow size, type of
opening, etc. A poison gas is soon released by the tablet and the poison dissipates very
quickly and is not released to the atmosphere. To be effective, the tablets can only be used
when soil temperature and soil moisture are adequate for quick release of the poison. Most
prairie dogs are killed within the burrow. However, if individual burrows are not moist or
warm enough, an animal may come to the surface before dying. Exterminators remain on
site to be sure if this happens that these animals are killed as quickly as possible and that
their bodies are not left above ground. The City's experience has been this is a very rare
occurrence.
Costs
Land acquisition of sites containing prairie dogs has been the largest expense of the City's
efforts to protect this ecosystem, but an important tool to ensure continued existence of the
colonies. Recent land prices in this category have ranged from $2,100-$10,000/acre. To
date, the City has spent over 6 million dollars acquiring sites that contain prairie dog
colonies. The NAPP also directs the City to focus on acquisition of many other types of
habitats in need of protection, including riparian sites along the Poudre River and other
stream corridors, wetlands, and foothills forest habitat. Although the City currently has
several sources of funds to purchase natural areas, funds are limited and careful evaluation
of site priorities will continue to balance the need to acquire lands to protect the diversity of
wildlife and native plant communities now present in the Fort Collins area.
Site management costs for prairie dogs has also been expensive for the City to undertake.
Costs for vinyl and minimal vegetative barriers approach $20,000/mile; installation has been
done by Youth Corp and volunteers with City staff supervision. Costs for fumigation last year
was around $4,000 ($4/burrow opening). Relocation costs (City and PECA) were around
$15/animal. The number of animals/burrow opening varies highly; data obtained from
mapping at the Cathy Fromme Prairie in 1995 averaged 1 animal/3 burrows in spring.
Burrows flushed for relocation also need to be fumigated if the relocation is done when
young prairie dogs are still below ground. Costs for restoring native shortgrass prairie vary
depending on size of site (higher for smaller acreages), soil additives, reseeding needed,
and if the site is hydroseeded. Recent City projects have varied from about $300 to
$1,000/acre (does not include staff time or watering).
7-Proposed Policy
Again, funds are limited and with all the needs for our natural areas, the City must balance
these management costs against other priorities.
Research Efforts
Since the early 1990's the City has been actively working with other agencies to determine
the best ways to manage prairie dogs and to protect the larger prairie dog colonies. Staff
from federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Centers
for Disease Control, Midcontinent Ecological Research Center, CDOW, and CSU, have
helped us to identify key areas in need of protection, buffer areas needed to provide
continued high wildlife use (particularly birds of prey), and methods to manage colonies to
enhance wildlife values, decrease impact and conflicts with human use, and minimize need
for lethal control. These agencies, as well as other county and municipal governments (e.g.,
Larimer County, Boulder County, Jefferson County, City of Boulder, City of Westminster)
meet periodically to discuss the latest research efforts regarding prairie dog management.
The City is also in frequent contact with these agencies on an individual basis regarding
prairie dog issues. All participating agencies recognize the need to protect urban prairie dog
colonies along the Front Range. Agencies understand that this is critical particularly
because most large prairie dog colonies in rural, agriculture-dominated eastern Colorado
have been eradicated in favor of crop and grazing interests.
The City has also been involved in several local research efforts to help the Fort Collins
community, as well as others, manage prairie dog colonies. For the past 3 years, the City
has been working with Remote Sensing Research, Inc. to map density and aerial extent of
colonies on several key sites. The City has also worked with Colorado State University's
Cooperative Extension Wildlife Program on a project that determined attitudes of Fort Collins
residents toward prairie dogs and several projects to research non-lethal alternatives to
controlling prairie dogs at the urban fringe.
The longest local research project has been the annual Winter Raptor Survey, conceived
and implemented by City Natural Resources staff, with input from raptor experts from CSU,
CDOW, and FWS staff. Over the past 6 years, the City has annually compiled data
collected by hundreds of trained volunteers to determine which prairie dog sites in Fort
Collins are the most beneficial to wintering birds of prey. In addition, the City has employed
raptor biologists to study night roosts of wintering bald eagles and ferruginous hawks.
8-Proposed Policy
IV. COMMITTEE POLICY REVIEW
The Prairie Dog Policy Review Committee, in preparation for reviewing the City's
current prairie dog policies, was given a 930-page notebook of prairie dog ecology and
management material prepared by staff with materials provided by the NRAB, City
Council, concerned citizens, and Natural Resources. The notebook contained the
results of a recent questionnaire that Natural Resources sent to 50 agencies along the
Front Range (Appendix A). The review of other agencies indicated that they are also
struggling to devise the best methods to reduce the conflicts of prairie dogs with
adjacent landowners. Nearly all the agencies use fumigation to some-degree; quite a
few agencies have tried various barrier methods with some long-term success at
reducing prairie dog movement to adjacent properties.
The Prairie Dog Policy Review Committee met four times during September through
November. Each meeting lasted from 3-4 hours. In general, the Committee felt that
City's policy was not clearly articulated in current documents and that the policies
related to prairie dogs needed to be better defined, particularly relating to when and
how to control prairie dogs. Some members of the committee also expressed a need
for a stronger public education component to the policy. They recognized the
responsibility that the City has to deal with wildlife conflict issues, but at the same time,
they felt the community and adjacent neighbors needed to partake in the responsibility
of controlling the conflicts and in the financial aspects of funding barriers and control.
Understanding the need to find methods to alleviate conflicts of prairie dogs invading
adjacent lands, some members of the Committee were opposed to fumigation while
others had some major reservations regarding the relocation option. Chief among
those were the potential to move plague-infected animals and the fact that in attempting
to save prairie dogs in the Fort Collins community, prairie dogs at the relocation site
may be adversely affected.
The Committee developed the following philosophy statement regarding prairie dog
management.
Committee Philosophy Statement
The natural areas program within the City of Fort Collins was established to protect and
preserve open land and wildlife. Prairie ecosystems have been a significant part of the
acquisitions made over the last several years. As part of a prairie ecosystem, the
prairie dog has been recognized as an important wildlife species having critical
interrelationship with other plants and animals. In establishing this prairie dog
management policy, the City of Fort Collins is committed to acquiring, maintaining, and
enhancing vital prairie dog habitat along with providing for the general welfare and
conservation of the prairie dogs themselves.
9-Proposed Policy
Maintaining prairie dogs within an urban setting results in many wildlife-human
conflicts. The result of these conflicts is that some form of management must occur for
both prairie dogs and people. The emphasis of this policy is to allow prairie dogs to
exist naturally with minimum levels of human caused management. In implementing
management of prairie dogs on City-owned natural areas, this policy outlines the
following processes for control in order of priority:
(1) Natural control - enhance natural predation.
(2) Barriers - use human created and managed barriers (e.g., artificial or vegetative)
to restrict prairie dog movement.
(3) Relocation - moving prairie dogs from one site to available receiving areas.
(4) Fumigation -this lethal method is the last resort for management.
The City of Fort Collins will continue to partner with other public and private
organizations in prairie dog management and research.
This policy recognizes that plague is an important factor for both the health of people
and prairie dogs. The preferred mechanism for dealing with plague outbreaks is to dust
the prairie dogs with a flea insecticide. The flea is the carrier of the plague bacterium.
The City will continue to coordinate closely with the Larimer County Health Department
to reduce potential outbreaks.
10-Proposed Policy
V. PROPOSED PRAIRIE DOG POLICY
The Prairie Dog Policy Committee formulated the following 33 policy statements to guide
actions taken by the City of Fort Collins to achieve the recommended goals and objectives
for maintenance of City-owned prairie dog colonies. The Committee's objective was to
develop policies that apply only to designated natural areas managed by the Natural
Resources Department. They do not apply to sites managed by other City departments.
Prairie dog control on these sites will be determined by the managing department and will be
conducted in accordance with the City Code.
Policy Application
PA-1 The Prairie Dog Policy applies only to designated natural areas managed by the Natural
Resources Department. They do not apply to sites managed by other City departments.
Prairie dog control on these sites will be determined by the managing department and
will be conducted in accordance with the City Code.
PA-2 To improve communication, one department, Natural Resources, will be responsible for
implementing the Prairie Dog Policy with one staff member appointed by the Natural
Resources Director as the point of contact regarding prairie dog issues on City-owned
natural areas.
PA-3 The Natural Resources Advisory Board will be responsible for reviewing the Prairie Dog
Policy on a periodic basis (not to exceed 5 years) and will advise the City Manager's Office
and the Natural Resources Department if a more extensive review or change in policy is
warranted.
Land Protection
LP-1 Continue to acquire, maintain, and manage land that contains existing large (>50 acres)
prairie dog colonies in the Fort Collins area.
LP-2 Continue to seek the cooperation of other agencies (e.g., Larimer County, City of Loveland,
Colorado Division of Wildlife) to acquire, maintain, and manage land that contains existing
large (>50 acres) prairie dog colonies within the open land corridor between Loveland and
Fort Collins.
LP-3 Continue to acquire and manage large grassland or cropland parcels in the Fort Collins area
that can be restored to native shortgrass prairie and eventually support large (>50 acres)
prairie dog colonies.
LP-4 Continue to seek the cooperation of other agencies (e.g., Larimer County, City of Loveland,
Colorado Division of Wildlife) to acquire and manage large (>50 acres) grassland or
cropland parcels within the open land corridor between Loveland and Fort Collins that can
be restored to native shortgrass prairie and eventually support large prairie dog colonies.
LP-5 Continue to acquire or otherwise protect through regulation natural area corridors between
prairie dog colonies to maintain a movement corridor for mammalian predators.
11-Proposed Policy
Education
ED-1 Through a variety of educational and interpretive strategies, disseminate information,
including but not limited to, the following subjects:
o The Citys Prairie Dog Policy.
o Natural history and value of prairie dog colonies locally and regionally.
o Visitor use of sites containing prairie dogs.
o Pets and prairie dogs.
o Rights and responsibilities of living next to natural areas.
o Plague.
o Control methods (barriers, etc.).
o Relocation information and restrictions (including CDOW and CDC).-
o Research (e.g., experimental sterilization, winter raptor survey, etc.).
Research and Experimentation
RS-1 The City of Fort Collins will continue to partner with other public and private
organizations in prairie dog management, research, and experimentation.
Natural Control
NC-1 Continue to enhance natural predation of prairie dogs on City-owned sites by installing
predator enhancement features (e.g., low and high artificial raptor perches, tree plantings for
future raptor perches, straw bale placement and shrub plantings for coyote and fox cover).
NC-2 Encourage and assist landowners to enhance natural predation of prairie dogs by installing
predator enhancement features (e.g., low and high artificial raptor perches, tree plantings for
future raptor perches, straw bale placement and shrub plantings for coyote and fox cover)
on private land next to City-owned sites.
Barriers
BA-1 Continue to maintain, build, and improve existing prairie dog barriers on City sites and
continue to use local volunteer groups to assist in these endeavors.
BA-2 Continue to investigate new artificial and vegetative barrier designs and experiment with new
designs on limited study sites.
BA-3 In choosing new barrier designs, maintain sensitivity to human visual aesthetics and natural
functions of site (e.g., drainage).
BA-4 Require new developments next to existing City-owned prairie dog colonies to construct and
maintain prairie dog barriers on private land, as per City Plan Land Use regulations for
development plans submitted after March 28, 1997.
BA-5 Encourage existing developments (development plans submitted prior to March 28, 1997)
next to existing City-owned prairie dog colonies to construct and maintain prairie dog
barriers on private land as opposed to on City-owned land.
12-Proposed Policy
BA-6 Require requests from private landowners for installation by the City on City property of new
prairie dog barriers be made in writing to the Natural Resources Department with signatures
of approval by the majority of landowners immediately adjacent to the proposed barrier.
BA-7 Preferred prairie dog removal method for barrier establishment and protection will be by
relocation, but fumigation will be used if relocation option is not feasible.
Relocation
REA Prairie dogs may be relocated only if(a) suitable recipient sites are available; (b) plague is
not known to be present in the donor and recipient sites; (c) expertise is available to
relocate the animals; (d) the appropriate CDOW permits are issued; and (e) donor and
recipient sites have been dusted with an insecticide by a licensed applicator.
RE-2 Relocation may be used to remove prairie dogs at a problem area or to reintroduce them to a
suitable City-owned natural area.
RE-3 The City will continue to maintain a list of potential recipient locations for relocated prairie
dogs. Non-govemmental conservation groups will be encouraged to identify and develop
additional sites that meet CDOW approval.
RE-4 The Natural Resources Director will designate and contact a local organization in writing to
provide the organization an opportunity to coordinate and disseminate information about
relocation needs as the need arises.
RE-5 Organizations that relocate prairie dogs shall use only trained relocators that have signed a
City of Fort Collins release of liability form before participating in the relocation. The
relocation organization must obtain all appropriate permits including the CDOW permit and
written notification to Larimer County Environmental Health Department.
RE-6 To ensure that dependent young prairie dogs are not left in burrows, relocation should be
avoided from March 1-May 31 st. The Colorado Division of Wildlife does allow prairie dog
relocation during these months but only if the burrows are fumigated immediately after
relocation activities cease. Thus, to minimize the need for lethal control measures,
relocation activities should not occur during March, April, and May. Preferred months for
relocation are June through September. Flushing burrows with water during colder months
increase the stress on the animals, which could result in pneumonia.
RE-7 Relocated prairie dogs may not be moved to locations within 1/4-mile of a residential
development.
RE-8 Prairie dogs relocated to sites that do not contain recently (within 1 year) active prairie dog
burrows must be prepared by the relocation organization prior to relocation by production of
artificial burrows through augering or some other method acceptable to the CDOW.
RE-9 City of Fort Collins natural areas will only be used as relocation sites if they have suitable
habitat (i.e., established native shortgrass prairie) to support a potential of at least 50 acres
of prairie dogs and do not currently contain prairie dogs within 1/4 mile of the relocation site.
A CDOW permit is required. Sites where plague has wiped out an existing colony will be
given highest priority.
13-Proposed Policy
Disease Control
DC-1 Fumigation will not be used as the primary method for preventing the spread of plague.
However, burrows known or suspected to be plague-positive, and burrows in the immediate
vicinity adjacent to residential areas, will be dusted with an insecticide to kill the fleas.
DC-2 Neighbors in the vicinity of plague-positive prairie dogs will be notified by the distribution of
information packets and/or through the news media.
DC-3 Natural areas known to contain prairie dogs that have died from, or are known to be infected
with, plague may be closed to recreational use. The use of paved trails in those areas will
depend on the extent of the plague. If the trails are permitted to remain open, specific
restrictions may be implemented.
Fumigation
FU-1 The City may use fumigation to remove prairie dogs from City-owned natural area sites only
under the following conditions:
o The Natural Resources Director has designated and contacted a local conservation
group at least 6-weeks prior to fumigation to provide the organization an opportunity
to coordinate and disseminate information about the need to relocate prairie dogs
and:
a. Removal of prairie dogs is needed to maintain the integrity of the prairie dog
barrier, or
b. Removal of prairie dogs is needed to restore degraded grassland dominated
by non-native grasses to native shortgrass prairie; native seed needs a period
of time to establish roots before grazing by prairie dogs is allowed. (Newly
established native grasses have shallow roots and are uprooted by prairie
dogs in areas where these plants are the only food source.) No more than 50
acres of prairie dogs will be removed for this reason in any one year, or
c. Prairie dogs have begun invading a natural area site that is unsuitable to
support a large prairie dog colony (e.g., a site dominated by non-native
grasses; a site where presence of prairie dogs would impact other animals or
plants in need of protection; a site too small and surrounded by private lands
where establishment of a colony could pose serious human health or wildlife
conflict concerns.
The extermination can proceed prior to the expiration of the 6-week period if the
local conservation group notified about the proposed fumigation provides a
written waiver of the relocation option.
o At the discretion of the City Manager to prevent imminent threat to human health or the
environment, or upon the request of Larimer County Environmental Health
Department, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease
Control, or the Colorado Division of Wildlife, or other agency with jurisdiction to make
such a request, emergency fumigation may proceed. In such event, the City
Manager will report the emergency fumigation event to the City Council at the next
regularly scheduled meeting of the Council.
FU-2 Fumigation will only be conducted by a certified applicator and in a manner consistent with
labeling requirements. Fumigation is most effective when soil moisture levels are high and
soil temperature is above 40°F—usually late April to early June in Fort Collins.
14-Proposed Policy
VI. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE
Many of the 33 policy statements formulated by the Prairie Dog Policy Committee have been
a part of the practices and techniques used by the City since 1992 as part of implementing
the Natural Areas Policy Plan (Table 1). The Natural Resources Department will be
responsible for implementing the proposed Prairie Dog Policy. Once City Council adopts the
Prairie Dog Policy, the policy will replace prairie dog management guidelines for sites
managed as natural areas by the Natural Resources Department as presented in the
"General Management Guidelines for City-owned Open Spaces and Natural Areas.'
Implementation will be funded through the City's Natural Areas Program (primarily funded
through portions of current sales tax revenues: the Fort Collins 1997 Building Community
Choices Tax and Larimer County's Parks, Open Space, and Trails Tax).
Table 1. Implementation Schedule for the Prairie Dog Policy Items
Category 1992-97 1998 1999+ Notes
Policy Application: PA-1 Implementation begins immediately after Council
through PA-3) X X Adoption.
Land Protection
(LP-1 through LP-5) X X X Continuation of past efforts.
Education (ED-1) X X X Outreach (staff and Master Naturalists),displays,
and distribution of educational material ongoing
since 1992;interpretive exhibit and signs at Cathy
Fromme Prairie,Public Education Plan,new
brochures and information sheets in 1998;
additional brochures and interpretive signs
completed by 2001.
Research and
Experimentation (RS-1) X X X Continuation of past efforts.
Natural Control
(NC-1 and NC-2) X X X Continuation of past efforts.
Barriers(BA-1 through Continuation of past efforts,with more emphasis
BA-7) X X X on encouraging existing developments to construct
barriers on private land as opposed to City land;
require barrier requests to be in writing.
Relocation Implementation begins immediately after Council
(RE-1 through RE-9) X X Adoption.
Disease Control Continuation of past notification and dusting
(DC-1 through DC-3) X X X practices when necessary.
Fumigation Continuation of past restrictions,with the added
(FU1 through FU2) X X X restriction of notifying local conservation groups
regarding opportunity to relocate prairie dogs.
15-Proposed Policy
VII. REVIEW AND APPROVAL STEPS
Public Input
A public open house was held Monday, November 10, 1997, 5:00-7:30 p.m., at the Lincoln
Center. A press release was sent to all local newspapers, radio stations, etc. An ad for the
open house appeared in the Coloradoan the Wednesday and Sunday before the event. An
article on the proposed changes, written by Kevin Duggan, was printed on the front page of
the Coloradoan the day of the event. Thirty people attended the open house. Comments
were received from 25 individuals during the comment period (November 10th-17th)
(Appendix B).
Not unexpected, five individuals commented strongly that they could not support the killing of
any prairie dogs by the City, while no one advocated that the City fumigate all prairie dogs
on City-owned property. In addition, no one questioned the policy to pursue purchase of
additional lands for prairie dogs. Six individuals urged the City to do more to control the
expansion of development and/or to purchase additional lands for prairie dogs.
Methods to limit prairie dog movement through the use of predator enhancement techniques
were supported by the public, while use of barriers received mixed comments due to
ineffectiveness. Requiring private landowners and/or developers to construct the barriers on
private land (as opposed to the City constructing barriers on City land) was advocated by six
individuals.
Relocation also received mixed comments. Some individuals felt that relocation was not
humane and was too "stressful" to the animals or they had misgivings about the viability of
relocation as a long-term management alternative. Comments received regarding fumigation
clearly indicated that most of the public felt that this technique should be very limited and the
need for fumigation clearly demonstrated.
Staff Input and Approval
The Prairie Dog Policy Committee requested City staff comments and approval through two
interdepartmental teams that guide management of natural areas: the Open Lands Guidance
Team (made up of Department Directors/Division Managers) and the Open Lands/Natural
Areas Management Team (plans and implements site management plans for natural areas).
Both Teams approved the policy with one minor addition to one of the items, which was
incorporated by the Committee.
Staff from the City Attorney's and Risk Management offices also commented on the policy
and provided suggested changes.
Citizen Board Approval
The NRAB and Parks and Recreation Board (P&RB) held a joint meeting on December 3,
1997, to discuss the proposed Prairie Dog Policy. The boards further discussed the policy at
subsequent meetings and unanimously approved the proposed Prairie Dog Policy with minor
editorial revisions (P&RB: January 28, 1998; NRAB: February 4, 1998).
16-Proposed Policy
Next Steps
Council will consider adoption of the proposed Prairie Dog Policy at their March 3, 1998,
Council Session. Following the Council Session, Natural Resources staff will revise the
Prairie Dog Policy, if necessary, based on Council recommendations, and prepare a final
document for City staff use and public distribution upon request. Implementation of the
Prairie Dog Policy will begin immediately after Council adoption.
17-Proposed Policy
PRAIRIE DOG MANAGEMENT r
QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY ^
AUGUST 1997
In early July 1997, the City of Fort Colllins sent a questionnaire regarding prairie dog
management to 50 city, county, state, federal, and non-profit agencies along the Front
Range from southern Wyoming to northern New Mexico. A total of 20 agencies
responded: 10 city, 6 county, 2 federal, and 2 non-profit agencies. The following is a
summary of the results of the questionnaire.
Number and Size of Natural Areas
As expected, the size and number of natural area sites varied highly among the
respondents. Some cities and counties had no sites classified similar to City of Fort
Collins natural areas, while, not surprisingly, of the cities, Boulder Open Space had the
highest number of sites--216. Fort Collins currently has 37 sites managed by the Parks
Department (small sites managed by Stormwater and Water Utility were not included in
the total). Other than Boulder Open Space, only one other city agency (who requested
not to be named) has more sites--38--than Fort Collins. County sites varied from 0 to
about 300 sites/agency. Of all the agencies, 8 had more total acreage of natural areas
than Fort Collins (total of 4,403 acres) and 11 had less acreage.
Number and Size of Natural Areas Containing Prairie Dogs
Among the cities, only Boulder Open Space manages more acreage (5,000 acres)
containing prairie dogs than Fort Collins (1,700 acres). About 19% of Boulder's open
space acreage contains prairie dogs; about 39% of Fort Collins' natural areas contain
prairie dogs. The Cathy Fromme Prairie, Fort Collins largest prairie dog site, has about
170 more acres of prairie dog colonies than Boulder's largest prairie dog site. Among
county and other agencies, only Buckley Air Base contains more prairie dog colonies
(about 2,000 acres; 100% of their natural area acreage) than Fort Collins.
Removal of Prairie Dogs on Natural Areas
Cities reported typically removing from 0 to 80 (Boulder) acres of prairie dogs each
year; Fort Collins removed 20 acres this spring. Counties reported removing up to 250
acres of prairie dogs. Among the city and county agencies that have prairie dog sites,
75% (including Fort Collins) reported that they removed prairie dogs from sites due to
complaints from adjacent neighbors; the others did not answer the question. Removal
of prairie dogs for grassland restoration and for small sites within urban areas each was
reported by 5 agencies (including Fort Collins). Other reasons included "when they
migrate into parkland" (2 cities), "compliance with conservation plan" (1 city), "golf
Appendix A-1
course encroachment" (1 county), "agricultural practices" (1 county), "contaminated
areas or where clean-up activities would interfere with prairie dogs remaining" (Rocky
Mountain Arsenal), and "national security and health" (Buckley Air Base).
Fumigation v.s. Relocation
When prairie dogs are removed, among the cities, 90-100% of the prairie dogs are
removed by fumigation with the exception of 0% for Albuquerque (no removal done;
currently receiving prairie dogs relocated from private development as "required by
Environmental Health"), 0% for Denver (100% relocation; total of only 5 acres of prairie
dog colonies in their system), 0% for City of Boulder Mountain Parks (no removal done;
total of only 50 acres of prairie dog colonies in their system), and City of Boulder Open
Space ("see plan, we don't do it by acres"). The City of Boulder's plan states that "non-
lethal controls (burrow flushing and live trapping) are the preferred method," but that
fumigation and poisoned grain bait are also used. A management team considers
cost, available resources, and timing to determine which control technique to use.
Among the counties, 80-100% of the prairie dogs are removed by fumigation; 0-20% by
relocation. Prairie dogs removed from Fort Collins natural areas this spring was by
fumigation (90%) and relocation (10%).
Barrier Methods
Plastic visual barrier fences are used by 8 agencies (4 city, 2 county, Rocky Mountain
Arsenal, 1 Prairie Ecosystem Conservation Alliance). City of Boulder Open Space has
the greatest extent of this type of barrier (5 miles), followed by the City of Fort Collins (3
miles). Several agencies reported poor results or"mixed" results with the use of the
visual barrier fence. Shrub and tree plantings have been used by 4 agencies (Fort
Collins, Denver, Boulder Mountain Parks, Buckley Air Base). Other reported methods
included logs (Lakewood), wheatgrass planting (Boulder County), hay bales (Fort
Collins, Boulder Mountain Parks), raptor perches (Fort Collins), and earthen beams
(Fort Collins).
Prairie Dog Policies
Among all agencies, 6 (3 city, including Fort Collins; 1 county; Rocky Mountain Arsenal;
Prairie Ecosystem Conservation Alliance) have a written prairie dog protection policy
while 8 agencies (4 city, including Fort Collins; 1 county; Rocky Mountain Arsenal;
Nature Conservancy; Prairie Ecosystem Conservation Alliance) have a written prairie
dog removal policy. Only 4 agencies (3 city, including Fort Collins; Rocky Mountain
Arsenal) have a policy that addresses restoration of grasslands containing prairie dogs.
Only 3 agencies (including Fort Collins) have a written policy regarding private
development on lands containing prairie dogs and private development on lands
adjacent to prairie dog colonies owned or managed by the agency.
Appendix A-2
Prairie Dog Educational Material
Educational material on prairie dog ecology is provided by 8 agencies (4 city, including
Fort Collins; 1 county; Rocky Mountain Arsenal; Buckley Air Base; Prairie Ecosystem
Conservation Alliance). Six agencies (4 city, including Fort Collins; 1 county; Prairie
Ecosystem Conservation Alliance) also provide material on prairie dog control, while 8
agencies provide educational material on plague (5 city, including Fort Collins; 1 county;
Rocky Mountain Arsenal; Buckley Air Base).
Prairie Dog Research
Only 3 city agencies conduct research on prairie dogs. Boulder Open Space monitors
vegetation; Fort Collins' research projects include Winter Raptor Use of Prairie Dog
Colonies (City's Natural Resources Department's volunteer project), Prairie Dog Colony
Mapping Techniques (Remote Sensing Research, Inc.), Vegetation Community
Mapping and Monitoring (CSU Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory), and Non-lethal
Control Methods (CSU Extension). One county conducts prairie dog-related research
(project not described). Rocky Mountain Arsenal has conducted a number of projects
over the years, including mapping prairie dog distribution, relocation survival,
reproduction, artificial burrows/angering, plague, and winter raptor use. Buckley Air
Base has also been involved in research on barriers, control, and relocation in
cooperation with university, state, and other federal agencies.
Prairie Dog Colony Inventory
Boulder (Open Space and Mountain Parks) and Fort Collins are the only two cities that
maintain an inventory of prairie dog colonies on private and public lands within their
jurisdiction; 2 other cities maintain an inventory on all or a portion of their public land
only. In addition, 2 counties, Rocky Mountain Arsenal, and Nature Conservancy
maintain an inventory.
Winter Raptor Inventoy
Among all agencies, 6 (including Fort Collins) maintain an inventory of winter raptor use
of prairie dog colonies on private and public lands within their jurisdiction.
Questions regarding the Prairie Dog Management Questionnaire should be
addressed to:
Karen Manci, Environmental Planner
City of Fort Collins, Natural Resources Department
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580
(970) 221-6310
E-mail: kmanci@ci.fort-collins.co.us
Appendix A-3
PROPOSED PRAIRIE DOG POLICY FOR CITY NATURAL AREAS
SUMMARY OF PUBLIC COMMENTS
The Open House was held Monday, November 10, 1997, 5:00-7:30 p.m., at the Lincoln
Center. A press release was sent to all local newspapers, radio stations, etc. An ad for
the open house appeared in the Coloradoan the Wednesday and Sunday before the
event. An article on the proposed changes, written by Kevin Duggan, was printed on
the front page of the Coloradoan the day of the event. Thirty people attended the open
house. Comments were received from 25 individuals during the comment period
(November 10th-17th). The following is a brief summary of the comments received.
GENERAL COMMENTS
o There should be no killing of any prairie dogs--5 people.
o People who live next to prairie dogs should not pressure the City to eliminate them-A
person.
o I like prairie dogs, but not in my backyard; also I don't want the rattlesnakes that live
in the prairie dog holes back in this area-A person.
o Approve of fumigation (even for plague), but not relocation-A person.
o Still need to determine when is it mandatory to remove; why will the City consider
removing prairie dogs?--2 people.
o City has shown good faith for providing for a range of options-A person.
o Well done exhibits; bring them to elementary and junior high schools-A person.
o Has City considered the cost of lawsuits resulting from not controlling prairie dogs?--1
person.
o What might be our legal responsibility if someone is snake-bit on a city owned prairie
dog town?--1 person.
o Need to have a policy statement regarding monitoring--monitor the edges so that
prairie dogs never get to the point of occupying these areas-A person.
o Will introductory material be included as part of Policy?--it should be-A person.
o This policy describes management that is circumstance and situation based rather
than biology based. This approach is doomed to fail-A person.
o Policy is weak--there are no performance standards or criteria--1 person.
o Provisions for managing people must be included as a fundamental component of
any prairie dog management policy, including aspects of pet control, permissible
recreation, and appropriate landscape alternatives on private property adjoining
natural areas with prairie dogs--1 person.
o Any person who maintains property adjoining prairie dog colonies should employ
landscaping techniques that discourage prairie dogs and should avoid
landscaping practices that encourage prairie dogs--I person.
o City should require xeriscaping--landscape that will not attract prairie dogs
--1 person.
o Pets should be excluded from prairie dog colonies and not permitted to be walked or
exercised on or off leash--1 person.
Appendix B-1
o Recreational activities including, but not limited to picnicking, mountain bicycling, ball
sports, and flying disk sports need to be prohibited from natural areas with prairie
dogs--1 person.
o Construct a plan including the Front Range, or State of Colorado, concerning the
prairie dog and habitat-A person.
o True "natural areas" in Larimer County are all native shortgrass areas, not mowed,
not sprayed, not planted, and not influenced in any way by man! .Perhaps,
ecologically, we should be alluding to open areas or open space-1 person.
o City should adopt the County's "Code of the West"where those living next to a prairie
dog colony know what this means in terms of living with these animals--
landscape that will not attract prairie dogs-A person.
Policy Application
o Suggest adding the following policy: "The objective of this policy is to perpetuate the
existence of black-tailed prairie dog colonies on designated City of Fort Collins
natural areas and to protect the health of those colonies and the individual prairie
dogs that comprise them through the most biologically appropriate means
available."--1 person.
o What about land managed by other City departments? Will any effort be made to
develop a uniform City-wide policy? If not, why not?--1 person.
Land Protection
o Stop the development so the prairie dogs have more room--3 people.
o Preserve more open space for prairie dogs--2 people.
o Add word "conserve" or "preserve" to "maintain and manage"--1 person.
o I support the City's commitment to acquire, maintain, and enhance vital prairie dog
habitat. Two sites that I would like to see acquired that are currently for sale are
(1) The Coterie (E. Prospect, east of Sutherlands, along Spring Creek Trail)--an
educational site initiated by Light & Power with support from Natural Resources,
Parks, and the Wildlife Coalition; and (2) the piece of land east of Jax Surplus,
N. College Ave.--1 person.
Education
o Should include homeowners' association meetings to teach them to contain/limit the prairie
dog movement--1 person.
o Real Estate agencies/developers need to provide information to purchasers of homes
adjacent to prairie dog colonies--5 people.
o Go into neighborhoods surrounding natural areas with brochures every 2-3 years; use
scouts and Sierra Club members to distribute--1 person.
o Educate the public about the prairie dog ecosystem--1 person.
Natural Control
o Put more emphasis on predator enhancement--1 person.
o Use natural control to every extent possible--1 people.
o Good idea--1 person.
Appendix B-2
Barriers
o Barriers should be constructed on private property by private landowners, not on City
land by the City; this should be required-4 people.
o Make developers responsible for making effective barriers-2 people.
o Complaining neighbors ought to be the ones paying for the barriers-1 person.
o City should install barriers on City property if need arises and not just by landowner
request-1 person.
o Need to clearly state that if attempts to "encourage" landowners to construct their own
barriers are not successful, then the City will proceed with construction of the
barriers on adjacent City-owned land-1 person.
o You shouldn't need to maintain "sensitivity to human visual aesthetics" because
people shouldn't build in these areas. To exchange a view for a life is
unconsciencable--1 person.
o Prairie dogs should only be removed for barriers once effective barriers are found that
do not require continued removal of prairie dogs--I person.
o PECA should be contacted--use solid barriers, no vinyl--vegetative and water barriers
are good--1 person.
o Barriers should always be required before any extermination-A person.
Relocation
o Relocation of prairie dogs is stressful and results in death of animal eventually.
Fumigation is definitely more humane in the long run-A person.
o Relocation should be last resort too--it is as "repugnant" a policy as fumigation is
--1 person.
o I have misgivings about the viability of relocation as a long-term management
alternative-A person.
o Prairie dogs should be relocated to the property of the people who complain-A
person.
o Relocation is always feasible-A person.
o Need to clearly define what is meant by relocation not being "feasible"--1 person.
o Prairie dogs can be successfully relocated to existing colonies within a closer distance
than 1/4 mile if the entire coterie is moved together--Boulder County open space has
done this-A person.
o Should allow 10 weeks, not just 6 weeks to relocate-A person.
o Prairie dogs should not be relocated from March 1-May 31st so then you don't have to
use poisons-4 people.
o Suggest having "dog-run" areas between the barrier and development—constant
running of domestic dogs in this area will discourage prairie dogs from
establishing-1 person.
o Areas within the city open space must be designated to receive prairie dogs next
season--PECA is concentrating on creating a large preserve and not actively
seeking relocation land for displaced prairie dogs at this time-A person.
o Will the City participate in and/or fund the relocation effort?--1 person.
Appendix B-3
Fumigation
o Insert "at least" before 6-weeks as was done under relocation--2 people.
o Should allow 10 weeks, not just 6 weeks to relocate--1 person.
o Non-native grasses same as "exotic"? Specify these are on natural areas, not backyards-
1 person.
o No mention of protection of personal property from damage caused by prairie dogs to
grass, shrubbery, etc.--I person.
o Contradictory statement "pose a human health concern" with "dust only"--1 person.
o Extermination methods need to be rigid and well-defined and strictly penalized for use if
other viable options exist-1 person.
o I agree with no fumigation because of plague, but it is contradictory to the "Philosophy
Statement" of the group--1 person.
o Specific fumigant to be used should be specified--1 person.
o Specify under these policies that fumigation is a last resort--1 person.
Appendix B-4