PRAIRIE DOG POISONING IS TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW

Alison M. Collins
Interim Director
The Prairie Dog Coalition
director@prairiedogcoalition.org
http://prairiedogcoalition.org/
2525 Arapahoe Ave. #E4-527
Boulder, CO 80302
720.938.0788 work cell



---------- Forwarded message ---------


As I write this email, they are actively poisoning the Ranch Open Space prairie dogs just east of Federal Blvd. on the south side of 120th Ave. I have already called the City of Westminster about this poisoning and was unable to get any information about why they are poisoning this colony which has been there for well over 20 years and has historically supported our local golden eagles, bald eagles and other area raptors who nest immediately across the street. I do not know if they have plans to poison on the other side of 120th along the Big Dry Creek Open Space or on the NE Corner of Federal and 120th Ave.



Please call or email the City Manager's Office today at 303-658-2006 or westycmo@cityofwest minster.us to make a FORMAL complaint about this action.

You can also go to their website at http://ci.westminster.co.us/818.htm and email all members of the City Council and the City Manager's office.

------------ ------

Talking points:
Our local raptors cannot take further losses of their food source just before winter. Westminster just lost nearly 1,000 ACRES of prairie dogs (15,000-20,000 animals) at Colorado Hills Open Space due to plague and next door to that, the City and County of Broomfield also lost their adjacent 500-600 acres of prairie dogs (10,000-12,000 animals) due to the same plague occurrence.

This colony has been there for well over 20 years and has historically supported our local golden eagles, bald eagles and other area raptors who nest immediately across the street.

We have entrusted the health and welfare of our wildlife populations to our local governments and they have been failing in their job of protecting our natural heritage. It is one thing to lose wildlife to plague, but quite another to purposefully poison a historic colony.



------------ -----

The City of Westminster has continually poisoned without notice on our parks and open space areas since Council allowed them to begin to use poisoning for Windsor Park and Cobblestone Park around approximately 2004. I am working toward trying to get an accounting of all poisonings since Windsor Park, # of acres and/or # of prairie dogs killed, where each poisoning took place, when each poisoning took place and why each poisoning took place and how much money has been spent on this poisoning. Prairie Dog Action can use your help in making this kind of thing a part of history.

Thanks for your time and effort!



Deb Jones
President
Prairie Dog Action
(303) 439-9264 home
(303) 324-6829 cell
notestodj@aol.com

Firestone, CO Upholding Lethal Control on Private Properties.Action needed!

Dear Friends:


Please read the following message and request from one of our members.
------------ --------- --------- ----

Please show your support for prairie dogs living in Firestone, CO.

Sandy Rice has a colony of prairie dogs on her property in Firestone. Over the course of the last few months, police have visited her home to demand that the prairie dogs be killed. She has worked diligently to keep or relocate the prairie dogs, but has found no land in Boulder or Weld County that will take them. She has been working with legal counsel to no avail. A warrant has been issued for her arrest and her neighbors have poisoned her beloved cat.

Please contact the town of Firestone and Weld county to express your dismay regarding the treatment of Sandy and her prairie dogs and your disapproval of the law requiring her to be cited for trying to protect wildlife. Please tell them that you hope they use humane approaches when trying to manage prairie dogs, and that you believe that prairie dogs residing on private property, where they are welcome, should be left alone. (Town code cited below.)

Use talking points from our website to support the importance of prairie dogs to the ecosystem: http://www.prairiedogcoalition./res-talking-points.php

Thank you for taking the time to take action for prairie dogs, and for your continued support. Please forward this alert to others who may be willing to make a call or send an email.



Contact Information for Firestone and Weld County Commissioners
http://www.ci.firestone.co.us/
Town of Firestone: 303.833.3291
151 Grant Ave
PO Box 100
Firestone, CO 80520

Chad Auer Mayor of Firestone: cauer@ci.firestone. co.us
Charlie Thomas, Jr., Trustee-Mayor Pro-Tem cthomas@ci.fireston e.co.us
Butch Walb, Trustee Bwalb@ci.firestone. co.us
Matt Holcomb, Trustee mholcomb@ci.firestone.co.us
Kelly Morgan, Trustee kmorgan@ci.firestone.co.us
Paul Sorensen, Trustee psorensen@ci.firestone.co.us
Darrell Walsh, Trustee dwalsh@ci.firestone.co.us

Angel Montoya Community Service Officer: amontoya@ci.firestone.co.us


Weld County Commissioners: 970.356.4000
915 10th Street
PO BOX 750
Greeley, CO 80632


Doug Rademacher Weld County Commissioner for the Firestone District: drademacher@ co.weld.co. us



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alison M. Collins
Interim Director
The Prairie Dog Coalition
director@prairiedogcoalition.org
http://prairiedogcoalition.org/
2525 Arapahoe Ave. #E4-527
Boulder, CO 80302
720.938.0788 work cell


Related news story- decision made preventing prairie dog relocation to Weld County:
http://www.timescall.com/news_story.asp?ID054


Cited Firestone Code:

6.24.090 Rodent control.
A. No person owning property within the town, whether vacant or improved, shall fail to prevent rodent pests
residing upon that property from relocating to, infesting or otherwise damaging the property of another, including
public property. It shall be the responsibility of the owner of property within the town to provide for the
extermination of any and all such rodent pests in conformance with the provisions of this code and the laws and
regulations of the State of Colorado.
B. Any violation of Subsection A shall be subject to the general penalty provisions set forth in Section
1.16.010 of this code. In addition, the condition of rodent pests relocating to, infesting or otherwise damaging the
property of another, including public property, is declared a nuisance and shall be subject to abatement pursuant
to Chapter 8.18 of this code.
C. For purposes of this section, "rodent pests" includes prairie dogs, ground squirrels, pocket gophers,
jackrabbits, rats and other rodents. (Ord. 585 §1, 2005)

Related other section of the code, and interesting considering the "rodent control" section above:

6.24.060 Poisoning animals prohibited.
A. No person shall poison or distribute poison in any manner with the intent to poison any animal. It is a
specific defense to a charge of violating this subsection that the person intended to poison mice, rats or rodents
other than hamsters, guinea pigs and squirrels by the use of a poisonous substance approved for such use by the
United States Environmental Protection Agency or that the person was regularly engaged in the business of
fumigation or pest extermination and was so licensed by the state of Colorado.
B. No person shall use, set, place, maintain or tend any leg-hold trap. The marshal shall confiscate any
leghold trap found in violation of this subsection and dispose of it as the marshal deems appropriate. (Ord. 246
§91 (part), 1988; prior code §8-45.5)

Please help the prarie dogs of Santa Fe

Committee To Abolish Sport Hunting

PO BOX 13815, LAS
CRUCES, NM 88013-3815

(575) 640-7372

CASH@AbolishSportHunting.com


www.AbolishSportHunting.com
Santa Fe, New Mexico is home to a small population of
Gunnison’s prairie dogs, a species listed on the International Conservation
Union’s red list of threatened species. Because
several animals have been found in Santa Fe carrying plague, the city has removed
protection from the animals and is allowing them to be poisoned in an effort to
stop the spread of plague.



Experts with the Centers for Disease Control, The World Health Organization, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, the New
Mexico Department of Health, the Colorado Department of Health, and
other city and state agencies in
Colorado, Arizona and South Dakota have concluded that the best way to
halt the spread of plague is to address the vector species for the disease,
which in this case is the flea. These
experts also advise against removing or eradicating the host species for fleas,
since doing so will cause fleas to seek other hosts, most likely domestic dogs
and cats. If fleas are drawn to domestic
animals rather than wildlife, the chance of the human population being infected
by plague increases substantially.



***For more
information please contact Denise Saccone of the Prairie Dog Advocacy Watch Group
(505) 989-1233 or deniseone@netzero.net
Ms. Saccone is the organizer of the effort to
protect Santa Fe’s prairie dogs. ***
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Please contact the mayor of Santa Fe, the city
councilors, and the city manager and request that they reinstate protection for
the city’s population of Gunnison’s prairie dogs and concentrate their efforts on
controlling fleas through systematic dusting and public education instead of
killing animals who are the victims and not the cause of this disease outbreak.



Contact:



David Cross, Mayor

City of Santa Fe

200 Lincoln Ave.

Santa Fe, NM 87504



Also, please
contact:



Galen M. Buller, City Manager

City of Santa Fe

200 Lincoln Ave.

PO Box 909

Santa Fe, NM 87504



And city councilors Patti Bushee, Chris Calvert, Miguel
Chavez, Carmichael Dominguez, Matthew
E. Ortiz, Rosemary Romero, Ronald S. Trujillo, and Rebecca Wurzburger at the
same address: City of Santa Fe, 200
Lincoln Ave., PO Box 909, Santa Fe, NM 87504.
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Mayor Cross:
As you are aware, several animals within the Santa Fe
city limits have tested positive for plague. While this is indeed cause for concern,
removing protections from Gunnison’s prairie dogs so they can be poisoned will
not only impact the survival of this threatened species, but will likely
further endanger the human population of the city.



Experts from The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), The
World Health Organization, and state and local health and wildlife agencies
concur that controlling fleas and not killing host animals is the best way to
address the presence of plague. Flea
control measures, including controlled dusting and public use of flea control
products for domestic dogs and cats should play a significant role in minimizing
any risk posed to the public by plague-carrying fleas.
According to the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
Department, “killing the prairie dogs, predators, and other wildlife species
found in and around a plague-infected colony (is) impractical, costly,
ineffective, and potentially dangerous in terms of spreading plague more
widely” (South Dakota’s Prairie Dog Management Planning, South Dakota
Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Progress Report 3, February 2003, p.3.).
Mr. Mayor, please reinstate protections for Gunnison’s
prairie dogs within Santa Fe’s city limits and instead of killing them focus
the city’s attention and resources on responsible flea control measures. Your response to my concerns will be greatly
appreciated.
Sincerely,

ACTION NEEDED TO PROTECT THE PRAIRIE DOGS!

Boulder's Lagazza Vineyard killing prairie dogs
Dear Prairie Dog Supporters:
Please read the below information that I received from a supporter. Business owners need to hear and feel their customers' and neighbors' opposition to inhumane practices. Please contact Lagazza Vineyard and tell them how much you disapprove of their actions, and do not support their business. ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------"VINEYARD BULLDOZES PRAIRIE DOGS, THE FEW SURVIVORS IMPERILEDLagazza Vineyard (lagazza.com, 720-310-2724, grapevine@lagazza. com) has bulldozed between 20 and 40 acres of prairie dogs at its site on South Boulder Road in Boulder County, Colorado. Most of the animals are presumed to be dead, though a few survivors have been seen. The action took place sometime in May, when mothers were in the burrows nursing their young.The land is on the north side of South Boulder Road, between Boulder and Louisville, just east of the abbey. The Boulder County Assessor lists the address as 6829 South Boulder Road and the owner as Boulder Valley Partners LLC. The land has been for sale for some time. It is not known whether Lagazza purchased the property or is leasing it.The property to the north of 6829 appears to have been bulldozed at the same time and for the same purpose. The Boulder County Assessor also lists Boulder Valley Partners as the owner of this property.A person returning a message left at the Lagazza number said the prairie dogs had "moved on". He said he spoke with farmers in the area who said the animals will "leave cultivated soils". He said there is "open space all around", and this is where the animals went.Of course, this is not true. The animals hide in their burrows, which is where they were buried alive.Please contact Lagazza - tell them that you strongly disapprove of their actions, and demand that the surviving animals be treated humanely."------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----Thank you for your dedication and continued support in protecting prairie dogs.
Alison M. CollinsInterim DirectorThe Prairie Dog Coalitiondirector@prairiedog coalition. orghttp://prairiedogco alition.org/2525 Arapahoe Ave. #E4-527Boulder, CO 80302720.938.0788 work cell