Reader comments
Groups sue to stop prairie dog removal in Cedar City

ACTIVISTS | 3:52 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

(But wildlife 'activists' argue the land is not viable for use as habitat and will require years of rehabilitation.)-- Just like the Environmental 'activists' have helped us with keeping the under-brush and wild-fires in Southern California..

Always looking out for 'our' best interests..

Sheeeesh!

Smith | 7:09 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

I realize that any ol' stick will do for people who wish to beat up on environmentalists. But, please, keep it believable. Environmentalists have long tried to get counties and federal agencies to change their disastrous fire management policies. The southern California fires are validating these years of warning.
What it all has to do with the Utah prairie dog is obscure. As has been so eloquently said before, "Sheesh!"

Matthew | 8:00 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

No, the environmentalists tried to tell people that building those houses where they did was a bad idea. But the developers knew better. Now everyone is going to pay.

I would think that the unique "hazard" of Prarie Dogs could be a great selling point for the course. Turn them around into something positive. They are probably short of big trees and the water hazards may dry up in the summer but they have Prarie Dogs instead.

Comments continue below

Wise stewardship | 8:05 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

How thankful I am that these "environmental activists" weren't here when dinosaurs roamed the country, or we would still have dinosaurs taking care of all the land in Cedar City .

Bob | 8:44 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

Amen, Matthew.
As illustrated by Palm Springs, and Cypress Point, we can build golf courses anywhere. We can't have Utah prairie dogs anywhere.

Rick | 9:03 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

Where is Bill Murray when we need him?

Trex | 9:11 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

Boy, "wise stewardship" must have no childlike sense of wonder. Every right thinking person, hunters most especially, regrets that they can't see a live dinosaur.
Back from lala land; dinosaurs bit the dust without our help. The Utah prairie dog was doing fine until we started appropriating it's habitat. Many species' populations have declined as ours grew, but here is a species that may actually go extinct due to our actions. The sort of "wise stewardship" that I believe God expects of us would include not driving His creations into extinction.

Willow | 9:29 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

Every time we build neighborhoods, roads, and golf courses where wildlife live/used to live, we wonder why the "problem" animals won't go away. What morons. The animals were there first and they're just trying to survive on the land we encroached upon. Oh no! Prairie dogs on my golf course! What a surprise. Figure out how to co-exist and don't 'remove' the prairie dogs so we can knock a ball into a hole in the ground. Maybe we are entertainment for them.

smitty | 10:00 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

As is always the case with self described environmentalists (I use the term thus, because so many are anything but environmentalists), there is never any room for reason or negotiation. They are right and the opposition is wrong. There is never a middle ground, whether banana slugs or spotted owls, desert tortoises or prarie dogs.
The dogs are not being exterminated, they are being relocated by fish and game biologists who have specific training so many of the "environmentalists" do not possess. No matter, the activists must never be denied, and Bambi really can talk. Sheesh!!!

smitty | 10:09 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

Consider a definition: environmental activism; bio-political correctness / terrorism. I know this may sound extreme and cynical,but the holier than thou know it all, mankind is the enemy attitude of environmental radicals often drives away those who would be delighted to participate in programs which really do benefit the environment. In many ways envirowarriors are their own worst enemy and cut off their nose to spite their faces.
Just because some reject your version of environmentalism it does not mean they are wrong or anti-environment, they're just sick and tired of the elitism you ram down peoples throats while you trample their rights.

bob | 10:20 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

I follow science and Charles Darwin. Survival of the fittest. If they can't handle the compitition then they are too weak to be of use. Dinosaurs are a great example.

KILL THEM ALL | 10:24 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

These animals are rodents, nothing more. They carry fleas and other vermin. They serve to no purpose and have no use. Why are we even considering spending millions to relocate them? Give me a shot gun and dozen boxes of shells and I'll solve the problem.

CEDAR CITY GOLFER | 10:56 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

WILLOW- If you read the article you would have learned that since the golf course has been built the dogs have moved into it. Not the other way around. I have been golfing on this course for multiple years and have seen the problem grow longer. It used to be that you would only see a couple of dogs and that was enjoyable. Now the fairways are littered with holes. Out of trying to be respectful to the animals I always try to avoid running over their holes and keeping my distance from them. this is now impossible you simply CANNOT avoid them. Golfing on two the my favorite holes is now a complete joke.
Get informed on the situation before you comment!

Not an environmentalist | 11:14 a.m. Oct. 31, 2007

Willow makes a great point. We steal the prairie dogs land to make a huge gold course for the wealthy. We divert tons of water resources to create an unnatural habitat in the desert, then when the prairie dogs want to eat some of the tasty plants now growing thanks to the diverted water on their land, we decide to wipe them out. How many golf courses do we really need?

What if we turned all of Utah's golf courses into farms, asked all the golfers to donate one hour per week to farming and sent all the produce to Darfur? Then we still wouldn't have to kill the prairie dogs, but we might have a better reason to. Nah, golfing is more fun.

Animal liker | 12:44 p.m. Oct. 31, 2007

There were no dinsoaurs. Show me in the scriptures where it says so. Moreover, the prairie dogs have brains the size of garbanzo beans and thus should be given a chance to be domesticated and sold in pet stores.

To Willow | 12:44 p.m. Oct. 31, 2007

The animals were not there first. You are proboably right in most cases but not this one. If you had ever been to the Cedar City golf course you would wonder why there are no ground hogs in the sages or in the rough. The ground hogs moved onto the course because of the green grass. This is actually a case where we were there first.
P.s. I am not a golfer, but just because its not important to "willow" doesn't mean its not important.
Kinda like saying that because a groundhog is not important to me it must not be important don't you think.

DCnTN | 12:52 p.m. Oct. 31, 2007

If they really did get hundreds of PD's off of two holes, why not let them keep taking them.

I say, let the golf course serve as a prarie dog hatchery. The compromise, the golf course has to keep a tolerable number of the animals, and the environmentalist have to accept having the excess of the population moved to a natural habitat.

Easy.

Next.

9 Iron | 1:12 p.m. Oct. 31, 2007

There is no need to relocate them when you can solve the problem with a nice firm 9-iron. If this doesn't work, I would suggest a Taylormade Driver with a graphite shaft.

Use Your Heel | 1:15 p.m. Oct. 31, 2007

You don't even need a 9 iron or a gun, just use your heel.

From

Mt. View sideline Coach

I agree | 2:39 p.m. Oct. 31, 2007

I think the Utah Prairie Dog should be considered another hazzard, just like the sand traps and water holes. So if a golfer hits and kills a priarie dog on accident, does he get fined? they are endangered you know. There was an easterner up in Northern Idaho that killed a grizzle bear by mistake, he got fined. Go Prairie Dogs.

NEW LAW | 5:00 p.m. Oct. 31, 2007

We need a new companion law to the Endangered Species Act. I am a conservationist and animal lover, so I want to protect the environment.

However, the burden of protecting species and environments is a burden that should be born by all citizens, not just the unfortunate landowners that have been invaded by the species needing protection.

The new law.

In States where the Federal Government owns more than 45% of the land, then the Federal Government is responsible for species protection. As such there are 3 options for resolution, and the individual (non governmental) land owner decides which option shall be taken.

Options:
1. Land owner (his choice) trades acre for acre for any property not environmentally sensitive for endangered species owned anywhere by the Federal Government.
2. Land owner tells Federal Government the Fair Market Value of his property effected by endangered species, and the Federal Government closes escrow within 90 days.
3. Land owner tells Federal Government to transplant the endangered species off his land, the Federal Government has 1 year to remove the species or the land owner can.

This law would properly transfer the burden to the public rather than leave it on certain individuals.

NEW LAW | 5:01 p.m. Oct. 31, 2007

I believe jihadist environmentalists have planted many of the prairie dogs on peopleï¿½s property, as I see them where they did not live when I was a child.

Especially in states or Counties where the Federal Government owns most of the land; ie Washington County (66%), Kane County (97%), look it up.

Please write Hatch, Bennett, and Matheson and lets get this legislation on the FAST TRACK!!!!!!

Cedar City | 6:53 p.m. Oct. 31, 2007

I live in Cedar City and I really feel like there is an excess of prairie dogs here. Whenever I drive out to the north end of town they are always running out in front of my car. I'm not a big golf fan, but I have heard friends who come to visit from out of town complain about how terrible the golf course is here. They don't understand when I try to explain to them that we aren't allowed to get rid of the prairie dogs, even though they really have taken over the golf course.

Varmints | 7:21 p.m. Oct. 31, 2007

These little pests are a varmint plain and simple.

Oh.. the good old days. When farmers and ranchers allowed you on their land with a 22 rifle and a whistle.

Whistle... the varmint pops up... Shoot 'em.... they pop down. Great fun....

And the other prairie dog cousins ended up eating the dead ones.....

Cows no longer broke their legs in the holes.

Dave B | 6:11 a.m. Nov. 1, 2007

VARMINTS wrote "These little pests are a varmint plain and simple".

I agree and I think the prairie dogs are a problem, too. :)

hay farmer | 8:45 a.m. Nov. 1, 2007

If The golfers want to solve the prairie dog problem just chew a little bubble gum and spit it out as you golf. It worked in my hay field. I don't have a prairie dog problem any more

Austin | 8:55 a.m. Nov. 9, 2007

If it gets in our way, let's kill it. The problem are the people, kill prairie dogs cause they get in the way of a few golfers. Who does that benefit? The loss of genetic diversity will only more quickly bring the prairie dog's demise. Why stop there? Why dont we just wipe out everything and then nothing will get in our way. This is the same as we did to the indians. Same mentality.

Chuck Svensen | 11:34 a.m. Nov. 15, 2007

If the powers to be decides to get the prairie dogs removed permanently, let me know. I am a professional hunter and will be happy to drive to Utah and help with your, "problem".
Oregon Assassin

Ralph Patterson | 3:28 p.m. Nov. 20, 2007

Chuck Svensen is a professional. Hire Chuck to exterminate the pesky rascals.

Donna Patterson | 3:29 p.m. Nov. 20, 2007

I have a rule for all varmin. If it enters my property (house in this case) it dies. If it is outside, it lives. My property, my rules! Seems simple to me.

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