Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Denver, CO – August 12. In a move criticized by citizen groups as reckless and biologically unsound, the Bush administration today announced the removal of the black-tailed prairie dog from a “candidate” list of species awaiting protection under the Endangered Species Act.

“This politically-motivated decision will condemn the prairie dog to a bleak future,” said Dr. Lauren McCain of WildEarth Guardians. “The black-tailed prairie dog is slipping away, as is a slew of wildlife associated with prairie dog towns.”

The major threats to the black-tailed prairie dog – plague, poisoning, habitat loss, and recreational shooting – continue to increase. Poisoning has skyrocketed in recent years in Wyoming, and in South Dakota, which is considered a primary remaining stronghold for the species, Governor Rounds is proposing to exterminate extensive prairie dog acreage with government funding. Shooting and habitat destruction are also significant threats within the black-tail’s range. Today’s decision to drop the species from the candidate list will only increase the human-caused threats.

“South Dakota’s Governor is now proposing forced mass prairie dog poisonings on private, tribal, and even public lands,” said Jonathan Proctor of Predator Conservation Alliance. “Today’s decision gives them a green light to go for it. The victims will be prairie dogs, many other wildlife species, and the American public.”

The Bush Administration has listed fewer species under the Endangered Species Act than any other administration since the law’s passage in 1973. Only 31 species in total have been listed under Bush, and all of those listings have been ordered by the courts. In contrast, the Clinton Administration listed 65 species per year and the George H. W. Bush Administration listed an average of 59 species every year. Though the present administration cynically cites underfunding as its excuse for failing to protect imperiled species, for years it has been asking Congress to chronically starve the program of funding.

“The Bush Administration is desperately trying to dismantle our nation’s most important conservation laws,” observed Jacob Smith of Center for Native Ecosystems. “The Service’s refusal to provide urgently needed protection to the black-tailed prairie dog is just one more sign of the Administration’s misguided crusade against the environment.”

The black-tailed prairie dog is considered a keystone species, providing food and creating crucial habitat for many other native wildlife species. As dramatic prairie dog declines continue, other wildlife such as the Endangered black-footed ferret and the mountain plover continue their own slides toward extinction. For example, many millions of dollars have been spent on a black-footed ferret reintroduction program, but that effort has faltered due to a lack of large, healthy prairie dog colonies. Over 200 types of wildlife have been observed on or near prairie dog colonies. Well over 140 of these species are considered likely to benefit from flourishing prairie dog colonies. Prairie dogs have been reduced to less than 2% of historic numbers.

Public survey research has demonstrated that the Endangered Species Act is enormously popular. An April 2004 poll by Decision Research found that 86% of voters nationwide support the current Endangered Species Act, and 95% of voters agree that habitat protection is one of the most effective ways to protect species on the brink. This poll corroborates research social science research in 1999 showing that 84% of the American public supports the current Endangered Species Act or an even a stronger version.

“Poll after poll after poll show that the American public supports the Endangered Species Act. The Bush Administration, as they do on so many issues, is simply ignoring the will of the people,” stated Jeff Kessler of Biodiversity Conservation Alliance.

There are many success stories of species which would not exist today were it not for the protection of the Endangered Species Act, such as the whooping crane, grizzly bear, and Florida manatee. Yet the law has been chronically starved of funding, which has strapped its ability to recover species to the point where they no longer warrant federal protections. When wildlife and plants are provided with critical habitat, they are twice as likely to be improving in status as those species lacking this safeguard.

The groups opposed to today’s decision include: Biodiversity Conservation Alliance (Laramie, WY), the Center for Biological Diversity (Denver, CO), Center for Native Ecosystems (Denver, CO), WildEarth Guardians (Denver, CO and Santa Fe, NM), and Predator Conservation Alliance (Denver, CO and Bozeman, MT).