Mountain-Prairie Region

12-MONTH ADMINISTRATIVE FINDING, BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOG

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. SUMMARY OF SERVICE CONSIDERATIONS AND DECISIONS

1.1 Summary of 12-month Administrative Finding

1.2 Description of the Petition and Related Interests

1.3 Solicitation of Information for Status Review Subsequent to Positive 90-day Finding

1.4 Summary of Petitioner’s Comments

1.5 Summary of Comments of Biodiversity Legal Foundation, the Predator Project, and Jon C. Sharps

1.6 Summary of State Agency Comments

1.7 Summary of Tribal Comments

1.8 Summary of Federal Agency Comments

1.9 Summary of County Agency Comments

1.1 Summary of Organization Comments

1.11 Summary of Individual Comments

1.12 Summary of Conservation Plans

1.13 Summary of Comments on the States’ Draft Conservation Assessment and Strategy

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

2.1 Taxonomy

2.2 Biology

2.3 Ecology

2.4 Distribution, Abundance, and Trends

2.4.1 Distribution—Rangewide

2.4.2 Abundance—Difficulty and Accuracy of Evaluations

2.4.3 Abundance—Rangewide

2.4.4 Trends—Rangewide

2.4.5 Trends—Regional Differences in Occupied Habitat for the Species

2.4.6 Distribution, Abundance, and Trends—Specific Areas

2.4.6.1 States

2.4.6.2 Canada

2.4.6.3 Mexico

3. FACTORS AFFECTING THE SPECIES

3.1 The Present or Threatened Destruction, Modification, or Curtailment of the Species’ Habitat or Range

3.1.1 Habitat Loss Due to Cropland Development

3.1.2 Habitat Loss Due to Urban Development

3.1.3 Habitat Loss Due to Changes in Vegetative Communities

3.1.4 Habitat Loss Due to Structural Deterioration of Burrows

3.1.5 Habitat Fragmentation and Its Indirect Exacerbating Influence on the Effects of Other Factors

3.1.6 Overall Threat of Present or Threatened Destruction, Modification, or Curtailment of the Species’ Habitat or Range

3.2 Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific, or Educational Purposes

3.2.1 Commercial Interest in the Species as a Pet

3.2.2 Recreational Shooting of the Species

3.2.3 Overall Threat of Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific or Educational Purposes

3.3 Disease or Predation

3.3.1 Disease

3.3.1.1 Etiology

3.3.1.2 Extent of Plague

3.3.1.3 Effects of Epizootics on Populations

3.3.2 Predation

3.3.3 Overall Threat of Disease or Predation

3.4 The Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms

3.4.1 States

3.4.2 Tribes

3.4.3 Federal

3.4.4 Canada

3.4.5 Mexico

3.4.6 Overall Threat of Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms

3.5 Other Natural or Manmade Factors Affecting the Species’ Continued Existence

3.5.1 Rodent Control

3.5.1.1 Rodent Control Efforts Prior to 1972

3.5.1.2 Recent Rodent Control Efforts

3.5.2 Synergistic Effects

3.5.3 Overall Threat of Other Natural or Manmade Factors Affecting the Species’ Continued Existence

3.6 Vulnerability of the Species in Perspective

3.6.1 Vulnerability of Complexes

3.6.2 Area Evaluations

4. FINDING

4.1 Conclusion/Finding

4.2 Listing Priority Number for the Species

5. REFERENCES CITED

6. TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 1. Summary of Estimates of Black-tailed Prairie Dog Occupied Habitat

Table 2. Geographical Information System Estimation of Potential Black-tailed Prairie Dog Occupied Habitat

Table 3. Listing Priority Guidance for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Table 4. Region 6 Listing Priorities as of November 1999

Figure 1. Recent Declining Trends in Black-tailed Prairie Dog Occupied Habitat

Figure 2. Recent Stable Trends in Black-tailed Prairie Dog Occupied Habitat

Figure 3. Areas within the Range of the Black-tailed Prairie Dog with Similar Population Characteristics and Threats

Figure 4. Estimates of Black-tailed Prairie Dog Occupied Habitat for States Impacted and Not Impacted by Plague

Figure 5. Trends in Black-tailed Prairie Dog Occupied Habitat for Areas Impacted and Not Impacted by Plague