"I am a resident of Highlands Ranch concerned about the Metro District plan to 'remove' and euthanize prairie dogs from our open spaces on October 8. I live in Westridge on open space containing the Spring Gulch Trail.My husband and I enjoy watching the prairie dogs on our many dog walks through the open space.As a matter of fact, the presence of prairie dogs in the open space was a draw for us to move here.We have enjoyed watching prairie dogs play and wrestle.We have delighted in learning about their community structure, and listening to their sentries sound alarm calls.Recognizing their pivotal role in the prairie ecosystem, we have appreciated the hawks, coyotes and foxes we have seen hunting the prairie dog colonies.We were confused by the prairie dog population flucuations we had seen throughout the years.It seemed we had a nice population to enjoy and suddenly most were gone.I understand why now -- the Metro District removes and euthanizes them. I am saddened by this management plan.

In the Metro District 'Leave No Trace' pamphlet, the first sentence says, 'Highlands Ranch parks and open space provides a safe haven for native plants and wild animals . . . ' Safe? Not for prairie dogs.Further on it states,' . . . you should respect wildlife by observing them from a distance . . .' So, we should be respectful while Metro District flushes prairie dogs from their homes and kills them?This practice is cruel and inhumane.I don't understand why Metro District will not consider relocating prairie dogs to other open space areas within Highlands Ranch.Other suburban areas like Greenwood Village allow for this option in their prairie dog management plan.

The continued 'removal' of prairie dogs depletes the genetic diversity of the population. In the 2007 'Prairie Dog Removal Goal' spreadsheet depleted prairie dog populations are evident. Each acre of land should be able to support 20 prairie dogs (as stated below the chart). In the Saddle Ranch colony, which has 1.1 acres, there are only 6 prairie dogs -- 14 less than this area could hold, and an obviously depleted gene pool. The 1.4 acre Vista/Falcon Trail has only 7 prairie dogs -- 13 less than the area could support. These are only two of several examples. Why is the Metro District killing prairie dogs instead of relocating them to these areas thereby employing a non-lethal, humane managment technique and increasing the gene pool? Furthermore, prairie dog removal this year will take place in "unsuitable areas" and within six feet of the trail. A method called 'Reverse Dispersal' is a strategy to relocate prairie dogs passively within their own colony structure. It would be a nonlethal, highly affordable, environmentally friendly technique of 'removing' prairie dogs from within six feet of the trails without killing them or depleting their genetic diversity. After all, in the Metro Distric 'Highlands Ranch Outdoors' pamphlet the mission statement includes making our community more 'environmentally friendly.'

The mission statement also calls for 'citizen involvement and education in planning and caring for the outdoors.' Most people want prairie dogs protected in our open spaces. As a matter of fact, the Douglas County Citizens for Wildlife, has gathered approximately 800 signatures of people who oppose Metro District killing of prairie dogs in our open spaces. Despite that clear support for nonlethal management, more attention seems to be given to people who complain about prairie dogs getting in their yards. People who move onto open space, just like people who move into mountainous terrains, must realize they are moving into a wildlife contact situation. Furthermore, strategies exist for protecting yards from prairie dogs. The Mission Statement of the Metro District states that they strive to be a 'community of vision" that will, ' . . . lead cooperative efforts . . .in the creation and management of . . . open space.' It states that wise use of resources will be ensured by "encouraging citizen involvement'. When most people desire humane management of prairie dogs as demonstrated by petitions, calls, letters, news stories and newspaper articles, I am afraid that Metro District is failing its mission to lead cooperative efforts in a "community of vision". In the Metro District 2007 Community Report it says, 'as we look toward the future, we will continue to seek ways to provide services and conduct business in smart and caring ways that help our environment.' Flushing prairie dogs from their homes, killing them, and depleting their genetic diversity is not a "caring way to help the environment'. - Lynn Ackerman, Highlands Ranch

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"We are local residents and daily users of the Highlands Ranch trails. The wildlife we see when using the trails have been a great source of pleasure to our family and many friends for the last few years. However, we have noticed a significant drop in numbers and species of animals we see.

Until last year, we regularly saw families of Prairie Dogs, voles, ground squirrels, snakes, even salamanders in a nearby brook. However, last year and this year we have noticed a significant decrease in all of these -- which is alarming us no end.

We recently saw sign posts regarding the removal and/or thinning of the few remaining prairie dogs colonies, the unfortunate animals removed would be fed to Black Footed Ferrets. We are extremely distressed by this. So much so that we investigated it with the Metro District and also with a local group, which we discovered have been campaigning against the prairie dog removal programmes for some years, but with limited success.

We as a family, totally disagree with the removal of the prairie dogs and have joined this growing group to attempt to change attitudes and hopefully get these plans revisited. Together with this group, and with the agreement of the Metro District Park Rangers, we will be attempting to relocate Prairie Dogs on two sites as they are deemed by Metro District to be unsuitable, as an alternative to killing these animals.

However, we understand that the removal of Prairie Dogs in other sites is still going ahead.

We are deeply saddened by this decision; and feel that in light of the dwindling wildlife these removal plans should all be revisted. The Prairie Dogs are due to be removed starting next week -- we were given very little notice of this fact, however we believe that many other residents would be horrified if they realised what was happening.

If you can in any way affect this decision, review the plans, and hopefully halt them, we would be extremely grateful -- we are concerned that the removal of Prairies Dogs across Highlands Ranch, will affect not only our daily pleasure at seeing them, but also the fragile ecosystem they support.

There are so few places where one can witness the daily lives of wild creatures, we believe it is totally wrong to destroy these pockets of our ever reducing wildlife.

We were unaware of these plans until the notices were posted - and believe that such drastic measures should be challenged.

A Metro Distric statement I saw recently stated :

We are committed to:

Preservation and enhancement of the special places- parks, open space, parkways and trails- that make our community more livable, attractive and environmentally friendly.

Promoting active lifestyles by providing a variety of quality outdoor recreation experiences.

Citizen involvement and education in planning and caring for the outdoors.

Partnerships that use everyone's strengths to improve, expand or more efficiently provide services.

The Metro District, as a steward of our natural lands, offers a few suggestions to help you preserve and enhance our community's natural areas... By recreating wisely and carefully, we can minimize our impact on wildlife, their homes and fellow visitors.

If this is a true reflection of the Metro District views then this action to remove wildlife, should not be taken without further involvement of the local community.

We welcome your comments, views and assistance in this extremely important issue." - Beverley Winfield, Highlands Ranch

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"I am absolutely disgusted to discover that Metro Districts are planning to kill prairie dogs all around the Highlands Ranch area, starting Monday, October 8th.

I live beside the sub station 'colony' just off Quebec and Mountain Brush and was shocked to see the signs about 'thinning' this particular colony by flushing them out and killing them for ferret food.

This 'thinning' process must be some kind of a bad joke, since on my daily walks I've never witnessed more than a half dozen prairie dogs actually living there!

I'd be surprised if there are as many as twelve surviving in the entire 'colony', which is more like a few lost souls than a bona fide colony.

I moved to Highlands Ranch with my family to be closer to wildlife, now I find it is being cruelly and inhumanely wiped out in front of my nose. Words cannot adequately express how angry I am at this complete nonsense of a policy.

And make no mistake, the process of flushing and killing these animals IS cruel and inhumane.

Why can't these prairie dogs be relocated from areas considered inappropriate to areas deemed more suitable in the Highlands Ranch area?

Also, why is there no 'reverse dispersal' being tried on this tiny colony on my doorstep when it is being given a chance at two other colonies in the Highlands Ranch area?

There is absolutely no reason why the reverse dispersal process cannot be attempted at all nine colonies in the area, not just two.

There is nothing wrong with our little colony staying where it is, the only people who have a beef with this, I suspect, are Excel Power and the odd misinformed resident who doesn't know what's going on.

I compel someone to stop this misinformed, needless policy of killing prairie dogs before we have no wildlife left in Highlands Ranch for our children to enjoy." - Stephen Rodgers, Littleton

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"This letter is being sent with much heartfelt sadness at the way Metro District is desecrating our prairie dog colonies in Highlands Ranch. My husband and I moved here because of the natural areas and animals that inhabit the open spaces. It saddens me that people can have such blatant disrespect for wildlife and nature. Our population of hawks, foxes, coyotes and other animals that depend on the black-tailed prairie dog for food are also declining.

It's ironic that when we moved here we received a pamphlet from Metro District that specifically states 'Metro District manages and preserves its open spaces to protect animals including "bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, swainsons hawks, ducks, porcupines, fox, coyotes, skunks and occasionally, elk.' Aren't prairie dogs food for some of these animals? How are they 'protecting' them if they're taking away their food source?

What's scary and sad at the same time is these people breed, and they are passing along their severe lack of ethics and moral judgment to their children -- who are our future -- YIKES!

There are humane ways of moving prairie dogs but Metro District chooses the most horrible, INHUMAE ways possible. I'm embarrassed to live in a county where our government can't see past their next paycheck." - Jeanine DeFrancesco, Highlands Ranch

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"As a 6 year resident of Highlands Ranch, I am very concerned and upset about the Metro District Plan to 'remove' prairie dogs from so-called 'inappropriate' areas in our open spaces. The removal process is an inhumane way of euthanizing the Prairie Dog.

My husband and I moved here due to the proximity to the mountains and the ability to see wildlife such as Prairie Dogs, Fox, Red Tailed Hawks, Swainson's Hawks as well as Bald and Golden Eagles. As developers and our own government agencies continue to exterminate the Prairie Dog, we will see less of these regal creatures. The Highlands Ranch sign has a Bird of Prey on it and yet I am seeing fewer and fewer of them around.

More than 200 other wildlife species have been observed on or near prairie dog colonies. Some of these animals depend on prairie dogs as a food source or for their habitat. Among those animals associated with prairie dogs and their colonies are bald and golden eagles, swift foxes, coyotes, ferruginous hawks, and the threatened burrowing owl. As a keystone species, black-tailed prairie dogs impact the prairie ecosystem in multiple ways:

The Metro District has a pamphlet that is distributed to new H.R. homeowners entitled, 'Leave No Trace.' It mentions providing wildlife a safe haven, respecting wildlife by viewing at a distance. I suggest that Metro Districts practice what they preach rather than killing Highlands Ranch Wildlife." - Lee Ann Hug, Highlands Ranch

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"Dear Metro Districts & HRCA Board Members:

We are deeply disappointed by the unconscionable act of prairie dog "thinning" and the subsequent relocation of slated Highlands Ranch prairie dogs for use as ferret food. The residents of the Highlands Ranch will soon be left with the legacy of a sterile and desolate landscape.

As we have learned learned from our Douglas County Citizens for Wildlife petition drive efforts and information drives, and public outcry , a large number of Highlands Ranch residents strongly support the preservation of the prairie dogs and other native wildlife in the open space areas.

Actions taken by Highlands Ranch Metro Districts throughout Highlands Ranch have perpetuated the naive and uneducated notion that people and wildlife are incompatible on open space land. Compounding this tragedy is the fact that prairie dogs are a keystone species upon whom numerous other species (including the urgently imperiled black-footed ferret, swift fox, ferruginous hawk, mountain plover and burrowing owl) depend at some level for their survival. Prairie dog numbers are currently at less than 2% of their historical populations. Highlands Ranch Metro Districts must take a responsible stand in protecting remaining prairie dog colonies on Highlands Ranch open space land.

A much more humane approach using very limited prairie dog relocation only as a last resort, and primarily utilizing the reverse dispersal method and erection of visual barriers to prevent prairie dog reencroachment onto residential/inappropriate ares would serve as a natural means of colony control. Douglas County Citizens for Wildlife has names and contact information for individuals and willing to volunteer their time to help with reverse dispersal and visual barrier erection.

We strongly believe that as public awareness of the prairie dog "thinning" tragedy increases, residents throughout Highlands Ranch will no longer tolerate the use of lethal methods of control. We urge the unequivocal commitment by Metro Districts to protect all remaining prairie dog colonies on Highlands Ranch Open Space." - David & Julie Price, Highlands Ranch