Utah Prairie Dogs: Creative Strategies to De-list a Problematic Endangered Species

The Utah prairie dog (UPD) was listed as “endangered” in 1973; it was down-listed to “threatened” in 1984. Regulatory agencies have realized that protecting and promoting UPD on federal lands alone is not efficient. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and private landowners desire a shift in the current recovery strategy in order to remove the threatened status of UPD as well as provide for management of UPD damage to private property. The time is right to begin a creative management strategy. One suggested new strategy would combine population counts of UPD living on private and public lands toward the recovery goal, as part of the new recovery plan. A survey of agricultural producers in the region with UPD revealed that 70% of the producers feared working with the USFWS on sensitive species issues, because of possible restrictions to their production. To date, the majority of producers would not be interested in creating conservation easements or safe harbors on their property. However, they are willing to work with local Extension agents and the Utah Farm Bureau to create solutions. Therefore, the first step to trying a new approach to UPD recovery will be to foster trust between local producers and regulatory agencies. New programs will focus on building trust, just compensation for losses, stewardship of the land and community, and cooperation