Prairie dog management efforts expand amid population growth

The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Department's (OSMP) public Prairie Dog Annual Meeting was held on Tuesday, Dec, 10. The department reported a significant increase in prairie dog populations in 2024, prompting expanded management efforts and new initiatives to balance conservation with agricultural needs on the city-owned lands, which are largely located outside of the Boulder city limits.

According to recent mapping data, prairie dog colonies on OSMP lands grew by 17.6% compared to the previous year, now occupying 5,510 acres across 122 active colonies (up from 111 in 2023). Officials attribute this extensive expansion primarily to dry conditions in the region.

The city has taken a multi-faceted approach to prairie dog management, including both conservation efforts and conflict reduction measures. A notable development is the launch of a pilot program to share barrier costs with OSMP neighbors, which attracted 30 applications during its November application period. The program will cover 50% of barrier construction costs, calculated at $12.88 per linear foot.

In a significant conservation effort, the department distributed Sylvatic Plague Vaccine (SPV) across approximately 250 acres in the Southern Grasslands in south Boulder. The vaccine program, aimed at protecting colonies from the deadly bacterial disease, involved two rounds of distribution using peanut butter-based baits manufactured in partnership with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Many prairie dog removal sites have been treated with Pressurized Exhaust Rodent Control (PERC) to reduce prairie dog populations. According to OSMP, the PERC system, which uses carbon monoxide to treat burrows, represents a more humane approach to eliminating prairie dogs compared to traditional poisoning methods. Local land managers selected treatment sites based on factors including proximity to residential areas and agricultural land, as well as the density of prairie dog colonies.

Relocation efforts continue to play a role in OSMP management strategies. In 2024, 185 prairie dogs were relocated to the Pueblo Chemical Depot. Future relocations will depend heavily on receiving site availability, with Pueblo remaining a crucial partner as Boulder's own system has reached capacity.

The city has also expanded its prairie dog removal efforts in areas designated for irrigated agriculture. In 2024, officials removed prairie dogs from 296 acres of land, with plans to address an additional 250-300 acres in 2025. The program, which cost approximately $492,000 in 2024, aims to reduce conflicts between prairie dogs and agricultural operations while improving soil health and managing noxious weed populations.

The management plan reflects Boulder's ongoing challenge of balancing wildlife conservation with agricultural needs, as evidenced by the breakdown of prairie dog colonies which show 4,657 acres are designated as protected status, while 852 acres are classified as conflict areas, where humans and prairie dogs have a negative interaction.

For 2025, the city has budgeted between $432,000 and $500,000 for prairie dog management activities, in its effort to address the issue through both conservation and conflict reduction measures.

The recorded Prairie Dog Annual Meeting can be found on the OSMP website.