Post by jonsdigs on Dec 5, 2006 0:06:21 GMT -5
Wind Cave hosts open house
Black-footed ferret was topic for discussion and comment
Hot Springs Star
12/4/06
By Curt Nettinga
WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK n The re-introduction of the black-footed ferret into Wind Cave National Park was the topic of discussion on Nov. 28, as the park hosted an open house information meeting at the Visitor Center.
“I was very pleased with the attendance at the open house,” said Wind Cave superintendent Linda Stoll. “We had a good dialog with several people on the re-introduction plan.”
The National Park Service, along with Wind Cave National Park, is proposing to add the black-footed ferret, once considered to be extinct, to Wind Cave as an experiment in prairie dog management.
Two alternatives are being looked at, as the Park Service takes comments on the environmental assessment:
Alternative A would move forward with no action, or change in the current prairie dog management. Black-footed ferrets would not be introduced, although ferrets that naturally colonize the park would be protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Prairie dog management would continue under the recently completed prairie dog management plan, with no changes for the black-footed ferret.
The second alternative, however, would bring in 20-25 black-footed ferrets to Wind Cave each year, for three to five years, under what is termed a “nonessential experimental” designation. Part of the experiment would be to determine if the prairie dog acreage and population is adequate to sustain a ferret population.
The National Park Service is taking comments on the proposed re-introduction until Dec. 22.
“I would have to say that there were probably more people here that were not in favor of the re-introduction plan,” said Stoll. “But people were also willing to listen to how the plan works. And the park is interested to see where people are coming from and why.”
The ideal outcome, according to an executive summary explaining the plan, would be to have a black-footed ferret population living among the prairie dog populations in the park.
At its Nov. 21 meeting the Fall River County Commission approved a letter that strongly opposes the re-introduction of the black-footed ferrets, based in large part on what happened at Conata Basin in the Badlands Natsouth of Wall, where prairie dog areas expanded.
Stoll noted that she understands part of the problem at the Conata Basin, was that prairie dogs did not stay within the parameters of the park.
Stoll said that the Wind Cave Park prairie dog management plan calls for 1,000 to 3,000 acres as prairie dog territory. Wind Cave has slightly more than 28,000 acres of land, of which Stoll says approximately 2,400 acres contain prairie dogs.
With the numbers creeping near the top of the scale, baiting prairie dogs is on the immediate schedule for the park. Stoll said that the state will also be baiting on private land outside the park where landowners have requested it.
“Another sticking point is that when the ferret was introduced in the Conata Basin, the prairie dog was listed on the “threatened” list in the state,” Stoll said. “They couldn’t be treated at that time. However now, they are not on the list.
“In addition, the black-footed ferret is a natural predator to prairie dogs,” Stoll pointed out. “A ferret may eat up to 100 prairie dogs each year.”
Stoll stressed that any re-introduction would be in conjunction with the park’s current prairie dog management plan.
“Most important,” she said, “is that we are not Conata Basin. We have a plan in place to manage prairie dogs population. Black-footed ferrets were native here and this re-introduction plan is designed to bring them back.”
Stoll said that the park is anxious to get comments from people. Comments must be substantive, she said.
“It’s not a vote,” she said. “We have a contractor that does the environmental assessment.”
The park will look at the comments, then send them to the contractor who also looks at them and issues a finding.
Stoll expects a decision sometime in the spring.
Article
Black-footed ferret was topic for discussion and comment
Hot Springs Star
12/4/06
By Curt Nettinga
WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK n The re-introduction of the black-footed ferret into Wind Cave National Park was the topic of discussion on Nov. 28, as the park hosted an open house information meeting at the Visitor Center.
“I was very pleased with the attendance at the open house,” said Wind Cave superintendent Linda Stoll. “We had a good dialog with several people on the re-introduction plan.”
The National Park Service, along with Wind Cave National Park, is proposing to add the black-footed ferret, once considered to be extinct, to Wind Cave as an experiment in prairie dog management.
Two alternatives are being looked at, as the Park Service takes comments on the environmental assessment:
Alternative A would move forward with no action, or change in the current prairie dog management. Black-footed ferrets would not be introduced, although ferrets that naturally colonize the park would be protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Prairie dog management would continue under the recently completed prairie dog management plan, with no changes for the black-footed ferret.
The second alternative, however, would bring in 20-25 black-footed ferrets to Wind Cave each year, for three to five years, under what is termed a “nonessential experimental” designation. Part of the experiment would be to determine if the prairie dog acreage and population is adequate to sustain a ferret population.
The National Park Service is taking comments on the proposed re-introduction until Dec. 22.
“I would have to say that there were probably more people here that were not in favor of the re-introduction plan,” said Stoll. “But people were also willing to listen to how the plan works. And the park is interested to see where people are coming from and why.”
The ideal outcome, according to an executive summary explaining the plan, would be to have a black-footed ferret population living among the prairie dog populations in the park.
At its Nov. 21 meeting the Fall River County Commission approved a letter that strongly opposes the re-introduction of the black-footed ferrets, based in large part on what happened at Conata Basin in the Badlands Natsouth of Wall, where prairie dog areas expanded.
Stoll noted that she understands part of the problem at the Conata Basin, was that prairie dogs did not stay within the parameters of the park.
Stoll said that the Wind Cave Park prairie dog management plan calls for 1,000 to 3,000 acres as prairie dog territory. Wind Cave has slightly more than 28,000 acres of land, of which Stoll says approximately 2,400 acres contain prairie dogs.
With the numbers creeping near the top of the scale, baiting prairie dogs is on the immediate schedule for the park. Stoll said that the state will also be baiting on private land outside the park where landowners have requested it.
“Another sticking point is that when the ferret was introduced in the Conata Basin, the prairie dog was listed on the “threatened” list in the state,” Stoll said. “They couldn’t be treated at that time. However now, they are not on the list.
“In addition, the black-footed ferret is a natural predator to prairie dogs,” Stoll pointed out. “A ferret may eat up to 100 prairie dogs each year.”
Stoll stressed that any re-introduction would be in conjunction with the park’s current prairie dog management plan.
“Most important,” she said, “is that we are not Conata Basin. We have a plan in place to manage prairie dogs population. Black-footed ferrets were native here and this re-introduction plan is designed to bring them back.”
Stoll said that the park is anxious to get comments from people. Comments must be substantive, she said.
“It’s not a vote,” she said. “We have a contractor that does the environmental assessment.”
The park will look at the comments, then send them to the contractor who also looks at them and issues a finding.
Stoll expects a decision sometime in the spring.
Article
