City Council Minutes 2000 09 19 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Louisville City Council Meeting September 19, 2000 Page 20. space land. He stated that she hoped the prairie dog issue would be considered in conjunction with open space inventory. He expressed her concern that the prairie dog study did not mention the positive aspects of having prairie dogs, which allow the public to observe wildlife. He noted that Dr. Stone does offer other solutions and options. He encouraged the Council to adopt the recommendation made by the Urban Wildlife Task Force and the Open Space Advisory Board. He expressed two concerns, one that the Colorado Division of Wildlife has proposed that prairie dogs cannot be hunted or shot on public lands. There are no such provisions on private property. The second concern is the discussion of the plague carried by prairie dogs. He noted that the plague is very bad for the prairie dog, but that the plague is a very treatable disease in humans. Ty Gee, 253 Hoover Court, Louisville, CO, stated if the citizens want open space, and the effect of open space, they must accept the wildlife within them. He shared his ideas on wildlife with the Council and stated that at one time you could see golden and even bald eagles but now those species have largely dissipated. He suggested there is an idea to accumulate as much open space as possible, however when conflict with humans and wildlife occurs, the wildlife must always give way. He noted that this is the situation with the prairie dogs and suggested that prairie dogs are one of the last remaining native species to be seen on a regular basis. He stated that some of the data on Dr. Stone' s report is unclear. He referenced the recommendation to remove the prairie dog colony on Via Appia, stating that the recommendations given by the Open Space Board were more reasonable. He suggested that we live with the benefits of open space and find creative solutions to deal with the intrusions of wildlife, short of irradiation or removal. Bettina Rosmarino, representing Rocky Mountain Animal Defense (RMAD) spoke on behalf of petitioners who have declared an interest in prairie dogs through RMAD. She stated that municipalities along the front range have not paid sufficient attention to the protection of prairie dogs or the wildlife that depend upon prairie dogs. She also stated that planning has not been implemented to deal with the conflicts that arise in relationship to prairie dogs and their colonies. She noted that this issue is gaining momentum everyday as colony after colony is bulldozed. She expressed concern that wildlife is being lost at a rapid pace. She stated that now is the time for cities to analyze the colonies to determine the best plan for those colonies and the wildlife associated with them. She noted that implementing a thorough, well-planned management strategy is beneficial to all. She did not believe the prairie dogs interest, the landowners interest, or the rest of the City's residents' interests, are exclusive of each other. She stated that a thorough management plan could be implemented by working with the County, the Advisory Board and the public. She stated that she supports the recommendations of the Urban Wildlife Task Force and the Open Space Advisory Board. She asked that the City 20