I’d like to advocate for keeping the prairie dogs where they are at Foothills Community Park. Personally, I love the delightful and intelligent creatures and seek out running and hiking trails where I can enjoy them in action. To me, open space is not only for humans to enjoy, but also as sanctuaries for our native plants and wildlife. These areas are rapidly diminishing, and I feel these native species have every bit as much right, maybe even more, to be there as we humans. With our endless hunger to build homes close to open space and preserve parks and areas “for human enjoyment”, I wonder where prairie dogs are supposed to go. And if moving them truly is the only option, I’m curious why no one ever seems to consider the option of moving prairie dogs to mountain parks, like Heil Ranch. There used to be a thriving prairie dog community there…these colonies are now vacant, and would easily accommodate a larger number of “city prairie dogs”. Unfortunately, many prairie dogs don’t survive being moved…I think it’s important to consider the option of leaving them where they are and letting them live in peace.
Carolyn Meyer
Boulder