The Forest Service released a federal proposed action for amending the Thunder Basin Land and Resource Management Plan. Defenders is opposed to this action because this amendment will remove the prairie dog strategy concerning the core management area, which includes the future reintroduction of the endangered black-footed ferret to these lands. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has identified the Thunder Basin as the linchpin site for ferret recovery. Without the ability to reintroduce the species to these national grasslands and with adequate prairie dog habitat, the black-footed ferret will not be recovered or removed from the Endangered Species List. Removal of the conservation strategy through this Forest Service plan amendment will mean more prairie dogs can be poisoned, a move to satisfy local ranchers at the expense of native species that reply on prairie dogs and these grasslands for their survival. Learn more about prairie dogs and the Thunder Basin National Grassland here
