The public is invited to a western showdown between humans and prairie dogs for open land.
Susan Jones, veterinarian and assistant professor of history at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ at Boulder, will discuss the evolution of perceptions about the prairie dog in a Sept. 3 lecture sponsored by the Center of the American West titled "Prairie Dogs -- Pets of Pests? The Historical Fortunes of a Native Western Species."
The event, free and open to the public, will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in room 235 of the University Memorial Center.
"I think people see the prairie dog as a symbol of the western landscape before urban development," Jones said. She has conducted extensive research on the history of human-animal interactions, including the plight of the prairie dog in the high plains ecosystem.
Recently, prairie dogs have been the focus of hotly debated issues including animal preservation and public health, pitting environmentalists and animal rights activists against ranchers and land developers.
Those opposed to prairie dog extermination contend the policy is inhumane and dangerous to public safety, while advocates believe the policy helps ensure that open land can be commercially developed and agricultural lands remain profitable.
"The problem for ranchers and farmers is their narrow margin for profit," Jones said. "They view the prairie dog as potentially threatening to crops, thus hurting the profit potential of their farms." However, many scientists who have studied prairie dogs have not found them to be so destructive.
The management of prairie dogs has grown from solely an agricultural issue to a Colorado Front Range urban issue as well.
Last spring, nearly 2,000 prairie dogs were poisoned in Lafayette in order to proceed with land development. Approximately 1,500 prairie dogs were exterminated in Louisville recently in order to develop land for office buildings.
The prairie dog is a source of food for several species of animals, including the American bald eagle. According to Jones, prairie dog extermination is expected to negatively impact the high plains ecosystem.
The National Wildlife Federation is currently filing a request with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to put the native Colorado black-tailed prairie dog on the threatened species list in accordance with the Federal Endangered Species Act.
The shifting role that animals have played in American society over the last century is a topic that Jones has researched and written about in journal articles and in her upcoming book, "Animal Value."