AURORA | A proposal to limit the extermination of prairie dogs by real estate developers advanced from an Aurora City Council study session Monday, even as some council members expressed concerns about holding up construction projects.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife defines prairie dogs as a keystone species, meaning other animals in the local ecosystem depend on the sociable creatures as prey and for the sturdy burrows that they dig.
But since prairie dogs establish their colonies on vacant land, they are often targeted for extermination by developers. Animal rights activists have called the killings inhumane, while others have dismissed activists as caring more about the homes of non-human animals than buildings meant for people.
The proposal by council members Juan Marcano and Crystal Murillo would require developers to obtain a survey of the land they plan to develop before receiving a grading permit, looking for prairie dog colonies as well as evidence of habitation by threatened species such as the black-footed ferret and the burrowing owl.
If prairie dogs are found, the landowner or developer will be expected to contact a nonprofit or other advocacy group to arrange for relocation of the animals at the partner group’s expense, and the group would be given 30 days to remove the animals.
“It really is on the prairie dog activists to find the home for the prairie dog and to relocate that prairie dog within 30 days,” senior assistant city attorney Dan Money said. “We tried to make it as developer-friendly as possible.”
If the animals can’t be relocated within that time, the developer will be allowed to hire a professional exterminator to deploy “humane” extermination methods, such as carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide poisoning, or another method approved by the state Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“I think that this is a really good compromise that from my perspective still favors the developer but allows folks who are really passionate about our local ecosystem to do their part to protect our keystone species,” Marcano said.
“If the nonprofits aren’t ready or able to do it, then they missed the window, and that’s that. If there’s no one available, then we’re not putting a hold on the project.”
He said the measure was reviewed multiple times by the city’s Planning & Economic Development Policy Committee and developers, and revised in light of the feedback received.
Some council members questioned whether the requirements could delay or block projects by requiring developers to wait until the prairie dogs on their property are moved or killed.
Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky said she didn’t think developers should be expected to spend weeks on prairie dog mitigation and suggested that the city pass the contact information of nonprofits along to developers.
“I just imagine hearing from developers months into this, ‘We’re held up on the prairie dog permit,’” Jurinsky said. “I could see this getting backed up.”
Marcano said he pictured the city describing the requirements in a pre-application process and that developers wouldn’t be punished if they connected with a nonprofit and the nonprofit didn’t follow through.
No council members opposed the item moving forward from Monday’s study session. The ordinance is scheduled to be voted on by the council May 22.
Let’s be clear: The burden is entirely on non-profits trying to save a keystone species and helping to sequester carbon (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3793983/), not on the construction company.
Excellent link TY.
Now that is a lot of fluff, the prairie dog activists do not have the funds to remove the dogs, so it will really be just a 30-day reprieve for the dogs. It would be much better had the developer been held responsible, they have the money to remove the dogs, but the activists must find a home for the relocated dogs. Activists can’t provide home, then exterminate.
This is incorrect reporting. This is not what the ordinance is about. The ordinances for developers to be held accountable, relocate, prairie dogs, when land is available, and if not humanely euthanize. It is not for nonprofits to pay for relocation!! That is absolutely ludicrous not at all what was agreed-upon, and or discussed. How this went sideways you will have to ask the Aurora city Council. This is absolutely outrageous! But I will say one thing. Evidently the Aurora city Council is more concerned about the feelings of developers than the feelings of its constituents the fact that Second generation anticoagulant rodenticides create havoc on natural ecosystems, inclusive of predators, birds of prey, domestic pets, etc. etc. and other poisons have been known to kill children even… Currently in use in the city of Aurora… All of which this ordinance would ban in terms of development… That’s of no concern to the city Council. All they care about is how do the developers feel??? it would behoove them to ask. How do my constituents feel? The people who put me in office? Unbelievable ridiculous and this is incorrect in accurate reporting. You should retract this ASAP because this is outrageous. How they can be so backward is beyond me… the city of Aurora is pathetic. They should be ashamed. But they’re not. They don’t care as long as the developers are happy he that’s all these people care about. Worth mentioning the recent study section which can be found on YouTube… One of these yahoos mentions the fact that the city of Aurora gave out 12,000 meals to homeless and yet only 10 homeless people became employed. That’s right give a homeless person, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and they will magically find employment and shelter. This is the mindset of the city Council no wonder they got this so incredibly wrong. Pathetic
Now a Prairie dog permit, a permit that’s been around for a while and Boulder County requires on their land redevelopment projects. Now the Aurora mob says let’s get on board as well. This article talks about the ways Aurora staff is looking at how it will work and all the means needed. This councils work is not done, it needs to do their own homework, and not leave it up to their staff by relying fully on any complete and accurate reports. The Colo Dept of Wildlife has for some time had specific regs for relocation of wild life, squirrels, racoons, prairie dogs etc. Relocation of these critters has more rules in the agency’s details. These regs involve a state agency that will follow and enforce the law, and require Aurora as well. And this Prairie dog rule is one of them, this one has shut down dirt moving jobs in Boulder. The city council needs to table this and send this back to their experts for a closer examination for a remake of their how-to recommendations.
Killing animals just because they’re in the way is reprehensible. Who cares if doing the right thing makes a construction project take a little longer? No one is preventing people from building new houses, they’re only trying for less bloodshed.
Kill everything in the way! Always the universal solution. 200 years ago, the argument would have been about exterminating local humans impeding progress.
Give me a break! Cut me some slack! How many of you out there really think anything that has to do with Prairie Dogs is important? Discussing Prairie Dogs is not and should not have anything to do with any government. It’s just not important at the governmental level.
Our Mayoral, (socialist), candidate has brought this up to the Council. Do you really want him to be your Mayor? What other inane and insane items will he bring up for Council approval. The list might be never ending.
My feeling is that Marcano only brought this up to continue to be a thorn in the ribs of all developers and nothing more. But wait, maybe instead of petting his cat during study sessions, he could adopt a Prairie Dog, or two, to pet. That would be worth watching.
Come on Quid, get on this. This is really juicy stuff.
All a developer has to say is no one came to save them so they get to kill the little dogs? Who’s going to watch dog the developers, themselves? Urban sprawl is a big problem. Instead of reclaiming land inside the cities they just keep moving further out and too bad for the wildlife!