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Permanent Prohibition of Shooting Prairie Dogs in Conata Basin
Under the Dingell Act, this provides permanent authority, replacing the temporary orders that have been in place since 1998.
Chadron, Neb., April 19, 2024 – The U.S. Forest Service issued the permanent prairie dog hunting closure in a portion of the Conata Basin, located within Management Area 3.36 on the Buffalo Gap National Grassland today. The area is home to the black-footed ferret, one of the most endangered mammals in North America. Much of their prairie dog colony habitat was decimated by plague in the past few decades. The area has been under a series of consecutive prairie dog hunting closure orders since 1998. This permanent closure will protect black-footed ferret habitat and implements a requirement of the 2001 Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Land and Resources Management Plan as amended in 2005 and 2008. The size of the closure area has been limited to the minimum necessary to protect the ferret’s habitat and employees monitoring the area.
The prairie dog hunting closure order has completed the process outlined in the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. PUBL009.PS (congress.gov). A comment period for the closure order took place May 26 - July 25, 2023, in accordance with the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Dingell Act) requirements for these types of orders. The Forest Service received 12 comments from two individuals and ten organizations. Comments can be viewed below. The permanent order only applies to the 80,694 acres of the National Grassland in black-footed ferret reintroduction habitat in Conata Basin; the remainder of the approximately 600,000-acre Buffalo Gap National Grassland would remain open to prairie dog hunting. The closure would not affect other types of recreational shooting and would not impact shooting on private and/or state land.
Issuance of this final order follows the process outlined in the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019.
Alert Start Date: April 19th, 2024
Alert End Date: N/A
Order Number: 02-07-06-24-05
Associated Documents
Forest Order
PROHIBITION
Pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(a), the following is prohibited on
National Forest System (NFS) lands in the Wall Ranger District of the Buffalo Gap
National Grassland, described in detail below and shown on the attached map
incorporated into this Order as Appendix A, hereinafter referred to as the “Described
Areas”:
Hunting of prairie dogs. 36 C.F.R. § 261.58(v).
EXEMPTIONS
Pursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:
1. Persons in possession of Forest Service form FS-7700-48, Permit for Use of
Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order, specifically exempting
them from this Order or a written determination by a Forest Service authorized
officer that a permit is not required under 36 C.F.R. § 251.50(e)(1) or (e)(2).
2. Any Federal, State, or local officer or member of an organized rescue or
firefighting service in the performance of an official duty.
DESCRIBED AREAS
The Described Areas is in Jackson County, South Dakota, include Township 3 South,
Range 18 East, Section 31, and in Pennington County, South Dakota.
IMPLEMENTATION
1. This Order will be effective on April 19, 2024 at 12:00pm and shall remain in
effect until it is rescinded.
2. A map of the Described Areas is incorporated into this Order as Appendix A.
Digital version of the Order and Appendix A available to view.
3. Unless otherwise expressly defined in this Order, the terms used in this Order
are defined by the regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture, 36 C.F.R. Chapter
II, Parts 200-299. If there are terms in this Order not expressly defined in the
Order or 36 C.F.R. Chapter II, Parts 200-299, their meaning shall be determined
by their plain language definitions.
4. A violation of this prohibition is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine
of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, by
imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551; 18 U.S.C.
§§ 3559, 3571, and 3581.
5. Further information regarding this Order may be obtained at the Wall Ranger
District Office in Wall, South Dakota, (605) 279-2125, and at the Nebraska
National Forest and Grasslands Supervisor’s Office in Chadron, Nebraska, (308)
432-0300.
6. This Order supersedes Order Number 02-07-06-23-02.