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Fire Danger in Gunnison County is High

gunnisoncounty.org

The warm, dry & windy weather of the past several weeks has significantly increased the fire danger ...

14 hours ago ·

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The Montrose Mirror

Combating Plague to Conserve Colorado’s Wildlife

DENVER, Colo. - New research from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and its partners shows that treating prairie dog colonies annually with a flea-killing dust or an oral vaccine can prevent their complete collapse when confronted with plague.

In a three-year study conducted in northern Larimer County, dusted or vaccinated prairie dog colonies survived during plague outbreaks while nearby untreated colonies were devastated. Neither treatment was completely effective at preventing plague, but some prairie dogs did survive in the colonies treated prior to plague outbreaks.

“The results of our field study showed that using insecticide dust to control fleas in prairie dog burrows or an oral vaccine to immunize prairie dogs against plague can help prevent the collapse of prairie dog colonies” said Dan Tripp, a scientist with CPW.

Burrow dusting has been used by CPW since 2010 to protect select Gunnison’s prairie dog colonies from plague in the Gunnison Basin and elsewhere. Those efforts furthered conservation of the species sufficiently that a federal listing as threatened or endangered was deemed unnecessary. Dusting also has been used at sites scattered throughout the West in recent years to help restore the endangered black-footed ferret.

Oral vaccination is a new tool for suppressing plague. The vaccine was incorporated into peanut butter-flavored edible baits that were distributed on prairie dog colonies.

“The prairie dogs encountered them while foraging. We saw that most of the animals in a colony found and ate the baits, so they must have been a hit,” Tripp said. “After eating one of the baits, the prairie dog’s immunity to plague is boosted, so when exposed to the actual pathogen later at least some can fight off the infection and survive.”

“We certainly appreciate the collaboration with our research partners. We couldn’t have made these strides without access to field sites at Soapstone Prairie and Meadow Springs Ranch (owned by the city of Fort Collins)."

CPW partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center where researchers worked with scientists at the University of Wisconsin to develop and produce the vaccine used in these experiments.

"We're very appreciative of the work done by those scientists," Tripp said.

The results of this research will help guide management of imperiled prairie dog species and a handful of black-footed ferret recovery sites across the state.

“We were happy to host Colorado Parks and Wildlife research on plague mitigation strategies at Soapstone and Meadow Springs,” said Daylan Figgs, Natural Areas Program leader with the city of Fort Collins. “We really need these plague-management tools to support the population of black-footed ferrets that were reintroduced in 2014,” Figgs said.

Colorado’s work on field vaccine effectiveness was done in collaboration with the federal National Wildlife Health Center to evaluate the new vaccine at 29 sites in seven states across the West.

“Our goal in developing an oral plague vaccine is to provide another tool for land managers to reduce the effects of plague outbreaks in prairie dog colonies," said Dr. Tonie Rocke, who led the multi-state study for the wildlife health center. "This reduction could have positive impacts on the conservation of prairie dogs as well as the survival of the endangered black-footed ferret, a prairie dog-dependent species.”

The impacts of this work go beyond simply protecting prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets from plague. Major beneficiaries of continued progress in plague mitigation for wildlife will help Colorado’s agricultural community and outdoor enthusiasts who recognize the importance of prairie dog and plague management to negate the need for further endangered species designations.

“The successful development of these plague management tools will help Colorado’s farmers and ranchers to use voluntary, incentive-based programs to conserve prairie dogs and recover the endangered black-footed ferret,” said Ken Morgan, Private Lands Program manager with CPW. “Successful plague mitigation will help to ensure that future federal endangered species listings for Colorado’s three prairie dog species will be unnecessary.”

Colorado’s landowners and wildlife managers have for decades been vexed by plague as they've tried to recover the endangered black-footed ferret and conserve prairie dog colonies which make up their primary prey.

Plague is caused by non-native bacteria transmitted by fleas. The first cases in Colorado were recorded in the 1940s. Plague has been devastating to Colorado’s wildlife, as it has become entrenched in the state. Outbreaks periodically kill vast swaths of prairie dog colonies that support a myriad of other wildlife species such as burrowing owls, badgers, insects and plant species.

“Wildlife managers have really struggled to recover ferrets and manage prairie dog colonies in Colorado because we have had no ability to mitigate the devastating effects of plague,” Tripp said. “Hopefully the development and use of these new tools in select areas and with the support of willing landowners will help to limit the impact of plague on Colorado’s wildlife.”

How best to employ these tools in a cost-efficient manner will be the focus of continuing research by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. This and future CPW plague management research is funded through the Colorado Species Conservation Trust Fund thanks to annual severance tax funding authorized by the Colorado General Assembly.

Read more about CPW’s experimental evaluation of burrow dusting and vaccine as plague control tools in a new research article just published in the journal EcoHelath (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10393-017-1236-y). ... See MoreSee Less

16 hours ago ·

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The Montrose Mirror

Montrose County Sheriff’s Office
Activity Blotter
06/23/17

06/22/17

0801 Hours-Deputy assisted a citizen at Highway 50 and Jay Jay Road.

0936 Hours-Deputy responded to a protection order violation in the 14500 Block N74 Road. No charges are to be filed.

1003 Hours-Deputy was dispatched to a trespass in the 82400 Block Highway 50.

1024 Hours-Terry Buck, 43, was sentenced in court to a 24 day sentence. When deputies attempted to escort him to the jail, he resisted them. He was additionally cited for resisting arrest.

1107 Hours-Michael McCarthy, 24, was arrested on a warrant at the courthouse.

1226 Hours-Deputy assisted a citizen at San Juan and Main Street.

1342 Hours-Deputy checked an abandoned vehicle in the 22500 Block Dave Wood Road.

1422 Hours-Deputy took a report of a lost license plate in the 63500 Block Spring Creek Road.

1447 Hours-Deputy assisted a citizen at North Townsend and North Grand Avenue.

1509 Hours-Deputy assisted the ambulance in the 900 Block 6600 Road.

1529 Hours-Juvenile was cited for speeding in the 64800 Block Kentucky Road.
1531 Hours-Deputy was dispatched to a trespass in the 59000 Block Ida Road.

1539 Hours-Deputy assisted Montrose PD by looking for a subject in the area of mile marker 100 on Highway 50.

1548 Hours-Deputy took an informational report in the 8900 Block 6400 Road.

1619 Hours-Deputy took an informational report in the 1200 Block 5725 Road.

1618 Hours-Deputy responded to a utility problem at Story Lane and West Oak Grove Road.

1619 Hours-Deputy was dispatched to a juvenile problem in the 300 Block North Coffman Lane.

1651 Hours-Deputy performed a welfare check in the 63500 Block Spring Creek Road.

1708 Hours-Deputy took an informational report in the 1200 Block Normandy Road.

1720 Hours-Deputy performed an animal welfare check in the 9000 Block South River Road.

1756 Hours-Deputy took an informational report at 6085 and Gunnison Road.

1804 Hours-Deputy responded to a criminal mischief in the 62800 Block LaSalle Road.

2007 Hours-Deputies were dispatched to a disturbance in the 63500 Block Spring Creek Road.

2109 Hours-Deputy took a cold report of a sex assault in the 63000 Block Spring Creek Road.

06/23/17

0124 Hours-Deputy responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the 16000 Block Chipeta Lakes.

0157 Hours-Deputy conducted a field interview in the 1000 Block North Second Street.

0213 Hours-Deputy found a backpack in the area of North second Street and North Lot Avenue.

0324 Hours-Deputy was dispatched to a barking dog complaint in the 17200 Block 6450 Road. The caller was advised Montrose County has no noise ordinance.

Deputies Performed
5 Civil Processes
3 Directed Patrols
1 Security Check
12 VIN Inspections

06/22/17

Vecellio, Jill R 09/22/69
Montrose, CO
By Montrose PD
Failure to Appear
Bond $1500.00

Buck, Terry J 03/22/74
Montrose, CO
Mittimus

McCarthy, Michael D 08/06/92
Montrose, CO
By Montrose SO
Failure to Appear
Serve 24 Days

Belleville, Alexander S 11/07/91
Olathe, CO
By Montrose PD
Domestic Violence
Criminal Mischief
Protection Order Violation
No Bond

Murphy, Michael T 12/19/87
Montrose, CO
By Montrose PD
Protection Order Violation
Introduction of Contraband
Bond $2500.00

Miklich, Connor W 09/02/93
Montrose, CO
By Montrose PD
Protection Order Violation
Trespassing
Resisting Arrest
Obstructing an Officer
Bond $1500.00

Barnes, Christie L 10/26/86
Montrose, CO
By Montrose PD
Warrant Arrest
Transported to Delta County ... See MoreSee Less

18 hours ago ·

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