Hello all,

Just received this from Defenders of Wildlife. Please take a moment
to write Gov. Kathleen Sebelius NOW and ask her to stop the planned
poisoning of prairie dogs (and the BFF colony that feeds on them). It
could begin as soon as Dec. 15th. Please read the message below for
more info.

Thanks,
Susann Thiel

                      ------------------------
Prairie dog poisonings would destroy the largest prairie dog town in
Kansas...

 ...and effectively end black-footed ferret recovery in the Sunflower
State.

Just last year, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service worked with
wildlife-friendly ranchers to reintroduce 24 near-extinct black-footed
ferrets on private land in Kansas. The ferrets are the first of their
kind in the state in 50 years.

But now, against the wishes of landowners, Logan County Commissioners
want want to poison the prairie dogs these highly endangered ferrets
depend on to survive -- even as federal officials consider protecting
the prairie dogs themselves.

Wildlife-friendly ranchers like Larry and Bette Haverfield have worked
hard to preserve the American grasslands that they own and lease.
That's why they volunteered their land for the reintroduction of the
once-thought-to-be-extinct black-footed ferret.

Just days ago, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced that they
will consider prairie dogs for protections under the Endangered Species
Act.

But last week, citing a century-old law, commissioners in Logan County
put the ranchers on notice: forced prairie dog poisonings could happen
as early as this Monday, December 15th -- a move that would destroy the
state's largest prairie dog town and effectively end black-footed
ferret recovery in the state.

Write Kansas Governor Sebelius today and urge her to stop the needless
poisonings on the prairie. ***Please visit
http://action.defenders.org/saveprairiedogs *** today to sign and send
a prewritten protest to the Gov! It doesn't get any easier than this
to make your voice heard!

Please try to help save these ferrets' lives.

[Posted in FML 6179]