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Markey lauds Feds' ruling on prairie dog removalColorado Congresswoman Betsy Markey recently welcomed a decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Colorado Department of Wildlife to reverse a policy that had made it illegal to disturb or remove common black-tailed prairie dogs from lands in Eastern Colorado, due to a perceived presence of endangered black-footed ferrets in the region. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Colorado Department of Wildlife have block-cleared all black-tailed prairie dog habitat in Eastern Colorado after determining that these areas no longer contain any wild free-ranging black-footed ferrets. Block clearance means that activities within these areas that result in the removal of black-tailed prairie dogs and/or their habitat will no longer be required to meet the Service's survey guidelines for black-footed ferrets, or undergo consultation under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. This clearance does not include white-tailed and Gunnison's prairie dog habitats that may occur within the block-cleared area. "I'm happy to see the vast majority of Eastern Colorado block-cleared of black-footed ferrets," said Rep. Markey. "For years, our farmers and ranchers have had their hands tied by a regulation preventing them from removing prairie dogs from their land, which can devastate crops and disrupt irrigation systems. This is a common sense decision and I'm glad it's happened." "Based on the best science available, we've concluded that the eastern half of Colorado is free from black-footed ferrets. As a result, we've block-cleared the region for activities affecting black-tailed prairie dogs," said Susan Linner, Field Supervisor of the Colorado Ecological Services Office. "This change in policy means less consultation requirements for landowners. However, this easing of policy only applies to black-tailed prairie dog habitat at this time." The black-footed ferret is a federally listed endangered species that depends on prairie dogs as a source of food and uses their burrows for shelter.
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