A wildlife advocacy group has released its annual report card on the welfare of prairie dogs in the West, and the State of Wyoming received a "D." WildEarth Guardians spokesperson Taylor Jones says for the first time, Wyoming participated in a survey of the state’s prairie dog population. And it designated a research site to investigate the plague, which has contributed to the species’ decline. But she says the state still has a long way to go.
“What’s bad in Wyoming is that there’s no limits on prairie dog shooting,” Jones says. “The state agriculture department can require lethal control by poisoning. There’s no habitat or restoration efforts.”
Jones says the Environmental Protection Agency received an F for approving poisons for prairie dog extermination. The National Park Service and the state of Arizona both received B grades for their work to protect the species from eradication and disease.
