BOARD02292

• Board Meeting Date: 3/29/1999
• Description: Directors' Reports
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

BATS: In cooperation with the DMG, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management,
the DOW is trying to determine which of Colorado's abandoned mines scheduled for closure are .
important bat habitat.

Bats have begun taking advantage of habitat created by abandoned mines. Many abandoned mines are
closed annually by the DMG, using methods such as blasting or backfilling the mines, or sealing the
openings with concrete. This process is disastrous for bats, either burying them or sealing them out of
habitat. The Bats/Inactive Mines Project is working to protect active bat populations in abandoned mines
by constructing "bat gates" at a mines' entrance. These grids of steel bars allow bats to enter and leave
the mines but prohibit human access. Of the 700 mines surveyed in Colorado, nearly 80 have been
. recommended for these gates.

Though none of Colorado's 18 bat species are listed as endangered species, many are in decline. More
than 40 percent of the bats in North America are considered endangered.

MEETING FOCUSES ON BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS: During the week of March 23, DOW
officials met in Denver with colleagues from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming,
Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, as well as officials from the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and
the National Wildlife Federation to begin discussing ~onservation strategies for black-tailed prairie dogs
and the ecosystems they depend on.

If a conservation strategy is pursued, it most probably resemble the current plan for protecting lesser-
prairie chickens that involves several state and federal agencies working with private land owners to
manage habitat.

.

In July 1998, the National Wildlife Federation petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to
list the black-tailed prairie dog as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Ifthe USFWS
finds the petition warranted, the listing process would move forward to a formal status review, during
which time it could be found that the black-tailed prairie dog is warranted for listing. Having a
cooperative conservation plan in place may lessen the chance of such a finding.

Prairie dogs have lost an estimated 98 percent of their historical habitat, mostly to eradication programs
and development. The animals are also susceptible to sylvatic plague outbreaks that often wipe out entire
colonies. Several other species of animals also live in and around prairie dog colonies, including
burrowing owls, swift fox and ferruginous hawks. Bald eagles and golden eagles dine on prairie dogs,
while the critically endangered black-footed ferret depends almost exclusively on the dogs' colonies for
its food and shelter.

PRESCRIBED BURNS USED TO IMPROVE HABITAT: The DOW has scheduled several
prescribed burns this spring. Controlled fire is a tool used to enhance wildlife habitat.

The first burn will take place at the Pueblo State Wildlife Area on March 20. Another burn will be set at
the Spanish Peak State Wildlife Area northwest of Trinidad on March 23. A third prescribed fire will
take place at the James M. John State Wildlife Area southeast of Trinidad. The date for this fire has not
been set. Finally, the DOW will coordinate a bum atthe De Weese State Wildlife Area in April. All of
the controlled burns are dependent on local weather conditions.

10

.