Don't Poison More Prairie Dogs

The Forest Service wants to make it easier to poison and kill prairie dogs on the American plains -- risking creatures like burrowing owls, hawks, swift fox and the critically endangered black-footed ferret.

Prairie dogs play an essential role in the plains ecosystem. Already there may be too few prairie dogs in the National Grasslands to sustain local populations of some of the animals that depend on them, including burrowing owls, swift fox, and the endangered black-footed ferret.

Wildlife management should be based on science, not on politics. The ability to poison is limited by the current Nebraska National Forest Management Plan to avoid the temptation for managers to cave into pressure from grazing lessees and politicians seeking private gain from public lands at the expense of wildlife. Do not remove this safety net by amending the plan to allow poisoning anywhere on the Grasslands!