Gunbarrel Prairie Dog Relocation A Hot Button Issue   April 2011    
BY GENEVIEVE JACOBI
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The pews of Niwot’s United Methodist Church at 75th Street and Lookout Road were packed on the evening of March 8. Hundreds of people gathered to hear the City of Boulder’s Parks and Open Space presentation about plans to relocate prairie dogs to a 109-acre parcel in Gunbarrel.

The relocation of 500 prairie dogs from Foothills Park in North Boulder to the city-owned tract dubbed “Richardson” was originally slated for the fall of 2010. Concerned neighbors rallied against the effort and, with winter setting in, City of Boulder officials decided to wait until 2011 to re-introduce the subject to the general public. This informational meeting was intended to do just that.

Val Matheson, City of Boulder’s Urban Wildlife Coordinator, reviewed the process by which Gunbarrel had been chosen as the only available site for a large-scale prairie dog relocation effort. This included a discussion of the history of laws spanning prairie dog protection in Boulder in the past decade, the six steps of the Wildlife Protection Ordinance passed in 2006 which need to be considered before lethal controls are employed, and the urban colony classification system for prairie dog management.

Heather Swanson, the City of Boulder’s Wildlife Ecologist, followed up by explaining The Grassland Ecosystem Management Plan. This plan, approved in May, 2010, set the framework for the protection of a wide variety of species and habitats in the county. Issues such as prairie dog density, sites with existing burrows and recent plague activity were all carefully considered before deciding on the Gunbarrel site, according to Swanson.

A lengthy public commentary session followed, led by professional facilitator Heather Bergman. Bergman first laid down the rules of decorum for what was expected to be a hot button issue in the community.
City of Boulder officials were asked to field questions from the crowd. Other issues were noted on a large easel to be addressed in the future on the agency’s web site.
Comments from those who chose to come to the microphone ranged from both extremes, with only a few people uncertain about their standpoint or taking a middle-of-the-road approach.

Those opposed to the reintroduction effort commented, “The needs of the prairie dogs are put above the needs of people.”
Others suggested a “more proactive plan looking at euthanasia (for the prairie dogs).”
One speaker said, “Gunbarrel is a convenient place to dump prairie dogs.”

On the other hand, one woman expressed what she called “Not a very popular thought…that the prairie dogs were here before us. Someone has to speak up for the prairie dogs.”

A variety of handouts were passed out, including a map of the proposed relocation area, the Grassland Plan’s conservation of black-tailed prairie dogs and facts about plague.

Mark Gershman, City of Boulder’s environmental planning supervisor, explained that comments about the prairie dog relocation effort can be addressed to the Boulder City Council via e-mail, phone calls, a private meeting request and via public participation for items not on the agenda at regularly scheduled Tuesday evening meetings.