Amended fire restrictions: Stage 1 fire restrictions in western Boulder County. Fire restrictions rescinded in eastern Boulder County.

Prairie Dog Management
Prairie dog

Prairie Dog Management

The annual public meeting will be held on Dec. 5, 5-7 p.m., at the Parks and Open Space Building. Learn More

Boulder County manages prairie dogs in a comprehensive way so prairie dogs thrive where appropriate on open space properties.

Management Plan

The goal of Boulder County is to preserve, protect, and enhance viable prairie dog populations on suitable grassland habitat.

The county adopted the Prairie Dog Habitat Element of the Grassland and Shrubland Management Policy in 1999. The plan was last updated in February 2022.

The plan strives to achieve wildlife habitat protection goals while also preserving agriculture and maintaining good neighbor relations. The plan reflects the values and vision of a broad cross-section of county residents, describes the main strategies for achieving the vision, and serves as a decision-making guide for property-specific management plans.

Three Categories

The plan divides areas within the county open space system into three categories:

  1. Habitat Conservation Areas (HCA): suitable prairie dog habitat
  2. Multiple Objective Areas (MOA): can support prairie dogs along with other activities such as trails, grazing, etc
  3. No Prairie Dog Areas (NPD): not appropriate prairie dog habitat by virtue of their land uses

The plan lays out the framework for maintaining appropriate habitat as well as parameters for removing prairie dogs from No Prairie Dog Areas. The plan also provides guidelines for relocating prairie dogs to maximize the chance of a successful relocation.

The plan is used to provide guidance to staff for day-to-day activities and can be used by the residents of the county to understand management activities over the long term.

Documents

Annual Update Meetings

Each year Parks & Open Space holds a stakeholder meeting. The meeting is a chance for staff to update the public on prairie dog management on open space properties.

The annual public meeting on prairie dog management will be held on Thursday, Dec. 5 at the Ron Stewart Parks & Open Space Building, 5201 St. Vrain Road, Longmont, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Staff will be available to discuss the variety of activities conducted in 2024 and how the department manages prairie dogs on open space properties, including agricultural lands. Public comment is invited. No changes are proposed to the Prairie Dog Habitat Element of the Grassland and Shrubland Management Policy.

The annual public meeting on prairie dog management was held on Dec. 7 at the Ron Stewart Parks & Open Space Building, 5201 St. Vrain Road, Longmont.

Staff discussed the variety of activities conducted in 2023 and how the department manages prairie dogs on open space properties, including agricultural lands. Public comment was invited. No changes were proposed to the Prairie Dog Habitat Element of the Grassland and Shrubland Management Policy.

The 2022 annual public meeting on prairie dog management was held on Tuesday, Jan. 17, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Ron Stewart Parks & Open Space Building, 5201 St. Vrain Road, Longmont.

Staff discussed the variety of activities conducted in 2022 and how the department manages prairie dogs on open space properties, including agricultural lands. Public comment was invited. No changes were proposed to the Prairie Dog Habitat Element of the Grassland and Shrubland Management Policy.

Seasonal Moratorium on Lethal Control Lifted

On Feb. 10, 2022, the Board of County Commissioners approved staff’s recommendation to lift the seasonal moratorium on the lethal management of prairie dogs in No Prairie Dog areas. The change to Section 8.3.3 of the Prairie Dog Habitat Element of the Grassland and Shrubland Management Policy will result in less overall prairie dog mortality when compared to status quo management on NPD properties.

The 2021 annual public meeting on prairie dog management was held on Dec. 14 as a Zoom webinar. Staff discussed the variety of activities conducted in 2021 and how the department manages prairie dogs on open space properties, including agricultural lands. Public comment was accepted.

Staff also discussed changes proposed to Section 8.3.3 of the Prairie Dog Habitat Element of the Grassland and Shrubland Management Policy regarding the seasonal moratorium on lethal control as stated above.

The annual public meeting concerning prairie dog management on Boulder County Parks & Open Space properties was held on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. Staff discussed the variety of activities conducted in 2020 and how the department managed prairie dogs on open space properties, including agricultural lands.

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