Sheridan County has become the first in Nebraska to adopt a prairie dog management plan under a state law passed last year to give counties the power help keep prairie dog colonies from expanding from the land of one private owner to another.

The county commissioners completed a roughly 3-month process Monday by holding a public hearing, then adopting the plan.

Seven members of the public, including 3 from Box Butte County, attended the hearing…and Commission Jack Andersen was pleased that all of them, representing both sides of the prairie dog issue, backed the plan.

“There were some people there that like to have prairie dogs and they felt the plan didn’t trespass on their rights to have prairie dogs…and were in favor of the way the plan was written,” said Andersen

The plan was crafted by a special working group headed by Sheridan County Weed Superintendent Kristi Paul, who was praised by the board for her work, but Andersen says it was pretty much the result of work by the private citizens on the panel who saw the need for it.

The plan gives the county the power to notify landowners that a prairie dog colony on their property is not being managed and require them to address the problem. If they don’t, the county can take action itself.

A landowner who wants prairie dogs on their land but is next to one who doesn’t “will voluntarily” create an abatement strip the full length of the property line…with the depth of the control area to be negotiated between the two owners.

Landowners found to be not managing their prairie dog colonies 60 days after notification can be fined $100 a day to a maximum of $1,500 and be billed for the cost management activities…including poison…taken by the county.

Complaints of violations would go to an appointed five member advisory council that would make recommendations to the county commissioners.

Andersen says anyone interested in serving on the council needs to submit their name through the county clerk’s office for consideration. He’d like to see the names in by the next board meeting in two weeks so the commissioners could make their choices at the following meeting, but doesn’t think they’ll make that timeline.

Copies of the Sheridan County black-tailed prairie dog management plan are available from the Sheridan County Clerk or online at http://www.sheridancountynebraska.com/archives/prairie_dog_plan2013.php