On the American Plains, prairie dogs are essential to the entire community of life... Several creatures depend on these burrowing creatures for their livelihood -- including the endangered black-footed ferret. Please forward this message on to friends and family who care about wildlife. Twenty-five years ago, the black-footed ferret was thought to be gone forever.  But with a Forest Service plan to poison prairie dogs -- their main prey -- in the most important recovery area for the black-footed ferrets, their journey back from the brink of extinction could be in jeopardy.

The prairie dog is an important character on the American Plains. Burrowing owls, rabbits, snakes and other ground-dwelling creatures all make their homes in prairie dogs�?elaborate underground communities. And prairie dogs are a staple for endangered black-footed ferrets and other Great Plains predators.

Now, the Forest Service wants to poison and kill tens of thousands of these furry critters.

Take action now -- urge the Forest Service to stop the prairie dog massacre.

Tens of thousands of prairie dogs could be poisoned and killed -- but it’s not only these tunneling critters that stand to suffer.

Because so many other creatures depend on prairie dogs for survival -- from burrowing owls to badgers, swift foxes to snakes -- the entire grassland ecosystem is at risk.

Help stop a harmful Forest Service plan to poison and kill tens of thousands of prairie dogs -- and harm the balance of life on the American Plains.

Last year alone after a similar rule change, nearly 70,000 prairie dogs were killed on National Grasslands bordering private land.

Now, the Forest Service is proposing to make it easier to poison and kill prairie dogs on three more public grasslands including the Buffalo Gap National Grassland -- key habitat for the recently reintroduced swift fox and the most important recovery area for the endangered black-footed ferret.

Don’t let this dangerous proposal see the light of day -- write the Forest Service now!

As always, thank you for all you do to protect our wildlife and wild places.

Sincerely, Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife