U.S. to reconsider prairie dog status. By Clair Johnson. Billings Gazette.
Once again there is more endangered species fallout from the corrupt reign of Jule MacDonald’s period as a Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Interior. A status review will begin for the white tailed prairie dog.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
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First off, this is encouraging, but this is like using a sledge-hammer to drive in a tack. I don’t know how other states treat the WT P-dog, but if Wyoming would just manage them with a hunting season instead of listing them as a predator and allowing at-will slaughter, that would go a long way toward fixing the problem. I think that’s where efforts should be focused.
Now, I know that O&G is having a huge impact on P-dogs, but we can’t use the ESA to push that agenda every time. It will backfire eventually. I don’t know. It just seems like a stupid game dancing around with proposed listings that probably won’t happen when Anadarko is still out there tearing up the prairie. I wish I had a better answer.