DOW extends Prairie dog comment period

Special to the Press

MONTROSE — The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) has extended the time period for submitting comments on the “Colorado Gunnison’s and White-tailed Prairie Dog Conservation Plan.” 

Comments from the public will be accepted through Jan. 5, 2009.

The conservation plan, when final, will be used as a guide to maintain these two species on native range  in Colorado. The plan can be viewed on the Colorado Division of Wildlife website at http://wildlife.state.co.u.

The Gunnison’s prairie dog is found mainly in southwest Colorado, the San Luis Valley and in South Park; the white-tailed prairie dog is found primarily in northwest Colorado but its range extends into the Uncompahgre Valley south of Montrose.

The goals of the conservation plan are to:

• Develop and implement conservation strategies that will work to prevent the need to list the two species under the Endangered Species Act.

• Promote conservation of not only the two species, but also their habitats and associated wildlife species.

• Implement conservation strategies to help mitigate negative impacts to the two species.

• Identify research needs that will help guide appropriate conservation of populations.

• Focus use of Colorado’s existing regulatory mechanisms to maintain species viability.

• Increase stakeholder and other agencies’ participation in prairie dog conservation.