The HOA Board at Harvest Junction Village, in Longmont, voted to exterminate or relocate a prairie dog colony located within the community. The main concern of the board members is that the prairie dogs that currently live in common spaces in Harvest Junction Village will migrate into residents’ yards or spread disease.
The board set a tentative deadline of March 1 for relocation of the prairie dogs or the board would move forward with extermination. Pueblo Chemical Depot is the most likely place the colony may be relocated to, but the depot cannot commit to accepting the prairie dogs until April 1 and the relocation cannot occur until July.
Residents and at least one neighbor to Harvest Junction Village have criticized board members for moving forward with this proposal. Thousands of dollars in HOA funds would be required to move forward with the extermination, an amount that hasn’t been approved by the HOA board members.
Jaime Fraina, who lives in Harvest Junction Village and is a prairie dog advocate, said there are two board members pushing this proposal to prevent the prairie dogs from burrowing and moving into the backyards of residents. One board member wants to spray roundup and grow grass, which is the likely reason for the March 1, deadline according to Fraina.
Fraina said concerns about prairie dogs migrating into residents’ yards are unfounded. “This has never happened,” she said. “There aren't any burrows on that side of the street and the residents that live right there want the prairie dogs to stay.” Fraina said that the HOA board also cited concerns about fleas and plague that could be spread by the animals, but this is a fear that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls “irrational.” “Prairie dogs cannot live with plague for more than a few hours and it usually wipes out most of the colony if it happens,” she said.
Fraina said there are several options the HOA has that don’t involve the extermination of the prairie dogs. A Go Fund Me page was made to raise funds for relocation or for the installation of a barrier between the colony and residents’ homes. The proposed barrier would have a tall fence and ground blockade to prevent the prairie dogs from burrowing out of the enclosure. The estimated cost is $3,000 to $4,000 and the fundraiser has collected $3,422, as of February 6. If the HOA decides to relocate or build the barrier, the fundraiser money will cover the cost. If they decide to exterminate, it may cost as much as $6,000 of HOA money, according to Fraina.
Prairie dogs are considered a “keystone species” which means they have a disproportionate impact on the lives of other species. Nine species are dependent on prairie dogs for survival, including black-footed ferret, burrowing owl, mountain plover, ferruginous hawk, golden eagle, swift fox, horned lark, deer mouse, grasshopper mouse. Estimates say the current prairie dog population is between 0.5 percent and 1 percent of what it was before humans began moving in and destroying their habitats in Colorado.
Fraina said she feels strongly about this issue because prairie dogs are a keystone species and she enjoys seeing them everyday. “I love seeing such a social creature coexisting with humans, chirping whenever someone gets close, protecting each other, playing with the pups in the spring,” she said. “They bring joy to many people nearby that also love seeing them out on walks. I'd be devastated if the colony was killed.”
The next board meeting is scheduled for February 17, during which the topic will be discussed more. Fraina said there is still time for the board to reverse its original decision.
