There is a small area with trees next to this new fast-food wonder, where prairie dogs lived. Many people enjoyed watching them, some fed them, because this area was so denuded of vegetation, littered with human trash. These prairie dogs were refugees from other development in the area, and had no other place they could escape to when the bulldozers started. Most of them perished due to the construction. No effort was made to help them by the city.
A construction worker at the site reported to me that the city of Santa Fe “had ordered the placement of large rocks over the prairie dog holes” — most likely suffocating many of these animals.
In 2001, the city adopted a prairie dog relocation ordinance that remains part of the land-use code. Rather than killing these animals outright, the city has interpreted the ordinance as an excuse to remove prairie dogs from the city. With continued rampant sprawl, native wild animals don’t stand a chance of survival. As Santa Fe kills off prairie dogs, it also kills burrowing owls, snakes, song birds, trees, etc.
Santa Fe depends on tourism. Visitors marvel at the physical beauty, the “nature” that is still here — but it’s fast disappearing as we concrete everything over.
Mayor Alan Webber says we should be “nature-friendly.” Let’s help him do this by protecting remaining native wildlife. Now that the city of Santa Fe owns the old College of Santa Fe site, the open space should become a preserve for remaining wild species. Among the plethora of plans for the College of Santa Fe “midtown” is a trendy progressive “ecodistrict.”
The city needs to observe the following official ecodistrict guide, which should include prairie dog habitat:
Living Infrastructure
Goal: Enable flourishing ecosystems and restore natural capital.
Objectives: Healthy soils, water, trees and wildlife habitat; accessible nature; natural processes integrated into the built environment.
We must demand the city change its destructive attitude toward native wildlife in the area, protecting existing habitat and creating wildlife-friendly areas for prairie dogs and other wild species to live. The campus site is an excellent place to begin, especially since prairie dogs were poisoned there in the late 1990s. Now is our chance to correct our history of our abuse of nature. If the city of Santa Fe cannot provide protection for its native wildlife and ecosystems, it can no longer claim to be the City Different.
Rosemary Lowe is a wildlife/environmental activist and co-founder of People for Native Ecosystems, among other groups.
Exposing the Big Game 
Reblogged this on Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting (C.A.S.H.).
Since I live in Santa Fe most of the year
I know about these prairie dogs
They are afforded the worst places to live and are are a real treat to observe as they communicate with each other
Instead of the horrible killing for a chick fil joint which the opening was covered extensively ( really ?) they should have given them sanctuary
My heart sinks that the city did not do this to begin with to save and respect them ..
Mayor Alan Webber is a great guy and I’m sure this will not happen again under his watch
I know, it’s so sad. I think of this a lot, every time a new mall or stupid fast food joint goes up in their habitat, how many are sacrificed, and for what? It’s repulsive.
I can’t forget somewhere in CO either, where those who protested their needless killing for another mega mall, were bought off for the right amount of $$$$, and the promise of ‘education about prairie dogs and their habitat’!
More little victims of our human population bomb and the endless development. How many fast food places do we need, for Pete’s sale?!
Tragic story…..and I agree, how many restaurants and how much food do we really need. It’s overwhelming the food choices we have. It seems like all we do in the US is eat.