Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Boulder trustees hear heated public debate and staff update on prairie dog management and agricultural restoration
Summary
Public commenters urged both repeal of spring limits on lethal control and continued investment in nonlethal coexistence as OSMP staff reported 5,124 occupied prairie dog acres in 2025, 345 acres treated with PERC that year, and restoration work on 1,747 acres of irrigated agricultural land.
Public comment at the Feb. 11 Open Space Board of Trustees meeting centered on prairie dog management, and OSMP staff presented a year-end update on occupancy, control and restoration efforts.
Elizabeth Black and Paula Schuler urged expanded lethal control, arguing that relocations are costlier per acre and that current moratorium modifications are too restrictive for a likely dry 2026. Schuler told trustees that OSMP treated 345 acres with lethal control in 2025 and that occupied acres fell about 7% from 5,510 to 5,124, while warning continued drought could fuel rapid expansion.
Prairie dog advocates Lindsey Sterling Crank and others asked the board to prioritize coexistence strategies and nonlethal tools. Sterling Crank, who works in prairie dog conflict resolution, praised staff innovation and urged continued support for restoration and shared-learning efforts, saying, "we can't…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
