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Prairie Dogs and Ferrets
Audubon of Kansas is working with several families who own
ranches in western Kansas and want to retain prairie dog colonies
on their land for ecological, aesthetic, recreational, and
other purposes. Together they own 27,000 acres with one contiguous
complex of prairie dog colonies extending 5,000 to 6,000 acres.
This area is the largest complex of prairie dog colonies remaining
in Kansas and is rich in biodiversity—hosting a suite
of species including Burrowing Owls, Ferruginous Hawks, Golden
Eagles and Swift Foxes.
At the request of the landowners and with our support, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering this land for
the reintroduction of Black-footed Ferrets—a species
native to Kansas and dependent on prairie dogs, but officially
extinct from the state since the 1950’s. (Update) Unfortunately,
a century-old Kansas law (K.S.A.
80-1201 thru 80-1208) continues to be used as a heavy-handed
tactic to force landowners to “eradicate” prairie
dog colonies on private land with little regard to native
wildlife or private property rights. Eradication campaigns
have eliminated 98% of historic prairie dog populations and
few other suitable places remain for Black-footed Ferrets
in the central or southern Great Plains. Audubon of Kansas
and our partners have been working with some members of the
Kansas legislature to improve these antiquated laws and promote
ecologically and economically responsible management practices
and land stewardship. We are committed to conservation of
Kansas wildlife and to the landowners who choose to manage
and preserve the native wildlife resources on their properties.
In January and February of 2006, AOK Executive Director Ron
Klataske appeared before the Kansas House of Representatives
Committee on Agriculture. Read
more about his work with the legislature.
Prairie Dog pups in May
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AOK
eNews UPDATE!
*Opportunity To Bring Black-footed Ferrets back to KS
*U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Seeks Public Opinion
*Logan Co. Commissioners and Farm Bureau Push To Eradicate
Prairie Dogs and Block Ferret Reintroduction
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*URGENT*--Black-footed
Ferret Update
AOK News Release:
Black-footed
Ferrets May Join Whooping Cranes As Endangered Species In
Kansas
Please
Get Involved!
Learn more about how you can make a difference! Click
here
 Young
Burrowing Owls
Follow the links below to learn more about this important
issue.
--Hazard
of Secondary Poisoning: Rozol
--Our
Efforts With Kansas Legislature
--Black-footed
Ferret Fact Sheet
--USFWS
Black-footed Ferret Reintroduction Environmental Assessment
Summary
--USFWS
Black-footed Ferret Reintroduction Full Environmental Assessment
--Hays
Daily News: Prairie Dog Divide
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