"If no one knows the importance of preserving a beautiful place, that place is not likely to be preserved."

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 has used 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 Dogs

Black-footed Ferret