Their support suggests that the Senate would likely sustain a presidential veto of this environmentally damaging and unnecessary legislation. Protecting Yellowstone is the responsibility of the American public. When most of think of threatened or endangered species in the Yellowstone region, we think of large animals such as the grizzly or wolf. However, smaller animals in the Yellowstone region are also facing an uncertain future due to human incursion. But we're very encouraged by the official recognition that the prairie dog is in trouble and needs the kind of recovery help that the Endangered Species Act is designed to provide.
Populations continue to be decimated by loss of habitat, poisoning and unregulated shooting.
In many areas the killing is encouraged and even required by state or federal agency policies that treat prairie dogs as pests to be exterminated. If you are concerned about the health and vitality of Yellowstone, including the wildlife which makes the region famous, we encourage you to write your congresspersons and express your views about the need to protect and preserve the national treasure we call Yellowstone. If you have a story to contribute to this column, email me . For more information about my book, College Guide to a Summer Job in Yellowstone, click here . I met Russ Finley in West Yellowstone a couple of weeks ago and we drove over to Canyon to have lunch and visit with his nephew Kirk.