Nature’s Tools on the Thunder Basin
After a year of planning, last month we hit the ground on a nonlethal prairie dog project on the Thunder Basin National Grasslands in Wyoming. In collaboration with the Fiddleback Ranch, Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association, Converse County Weed and Pest, and the U.S. Forest Service, we hope to bring a diverse group of stakeholders together for the health of the prairie grasslands, with grass as the major component.
We wanted to test a nonlethal tool to demonstrate to local stakeholders that vegetation barriers can help to keep prairie dogs out of private lands. Many of the local ranchers and affiliated groups advocate for more lethal or poison control of prairie dogs, but have agreed to support this pilot project because of its potential of addressing encroachment while also considering where native grassland wildlife will benefit from healthy prairie dog colonies.
We have had great success with vegetation barriers on the Conata Basin at Buffalo Gap National Grasslands in South Dakota, and for the arid Thunder Basin, we strategized also utilizing a one-mile snow fence to encourage moisture for the native seeds that we planted. This mix has the potential to grow over three feet tall, and since prairie dogs are averse to going though tall grasses, this will keep their colonies within the vegetation barrier.
The rancher involved with our efforts grazes his cattle on his private lands, as well as the public lands which are in the core prairie dog habitat for future black-footed ferret reintroduction. The carnivore relies heavily on prairie dogs for its survival. Once we can get ferrets on the ground here, they will then serve as nature’s tool in keeping prairie dog numbers in check; one ferret will eat 100 prairie dogs a year. But we need all tools in the toolbox with it comes to balancing stakeholder interests. The rancher’s collaboration on the use of other, nonlethal tools, to minimize prairie dog encroachment on his grazing allotments is key to our efforts for prairie dogs to better coexist with livestock. It comes down to our shared goal of a healthy grassland, with healthy native wildlife - including the keystone species, the prairie dog.
This project also included planting a one-acre test plot in Upper Antelope pasture to see what native grass species will grow best with the soil; this seed mix was different than the one used for the vegetation barrier. Defenders is partnering on other habitat restoration efforts across the grasslands, to show the ranchers here, in earnest, that we are such a conservation partner on helping grow grass for both cattle and prairie dogs.
The rancher provided the tracker and tools, and the local weed and pest control assisted with the snow fence materials and installation for the vegetation barrier. Our major conservation partner, the Prairie Dog Coalition of the Humane Society of the United States, supported the project and assisted with labor as well. It was a great day and a positive collaboration. We will monitor the project over the next year and we remain hopeful the grass will grow to create the successful vegetation barrier we need so that we can apply this nonlethal tool to other areas on the Thunder Basin National Grasslands.
- Chamois
