Thunder Basin Grassland Restoration & Prairie Dog Colony Management

This site is intended to serve as an information repository for Thunder Basin Prairie Dog Colony Management. It will be periodically updated, as new information becomes available.

Current Happenings

• The U.S. Forest Service, Thunder Basin National Grassland, has undertaken a Grassland Land and Resource Management Plan Amendment under the 2012 Planning Rule. The final Record of Decision was released on December 2, 2020 (view news release) and the Amendment is available to view in the Federal Register.
  • Need for the amendment was collaboratively developed over the last few years, most recently by a stakeholder group convened by Wyoming Department of Agriculture.
    • For more information, please visit the 2020 Thunder Basin National Grassland Plan Amendment project page
• Concurrent with the amendment process, Forest and Regional Staff are actively engaged in on-the-ground restoration and control projects. Many of these projects are now coordinated by the Thunder Basin Working Group, comprised of interested stakeholders and convened by Wyoming County Commissioners Association.
• The intent is to provide a foundation for a collaborative environment to cultivate short and long-term solutions to prairie dog colony impacts on the Grassland. The Forest Service is encouraging groups to work together to develop management alternatives for the agency to consider, which will be durable and provide for the long-term success of the Grassland.

Thunder Basin National Grassland Plan Information

• Thunder Basin National Grassland Land and Resource Management Plan
• 2020 Plan Amendment
  • Permanent Seasonal Restrictions - Thunder Basin National Grassland, Prairie Dog Hunting *See Map, Background and Justification, Response to Comments, Regulatory Certifications, Rescission of Emergency Order*
  • TBNG Plague Management Plan

Important Links

• Thunder Basin Working Group Materials and Information
• TBNG Working Group - Summary Letter (Dec. 28, 2018)
• Wyoming Black-footed Ferret Management Plan (WGFD, Nov. 14, 2018)
• 2017 TBNG Collaboration Report
• Thunder Basin Collaborative Learning Workshops - Summary Report (Sept. 12, 2016)
• Wyoming Black-footed Ferret 10(j) Rule (USFWS, Oct. 29, 2015)
• 2015 Thunder Basin Situation Assessment & Process Recommendations
• UW Ruckelshaus Institute web site - Collaborative Solutions, Thunder Basin Prairie Dog Management

Historic Information

2009 Prairie Dog Management - Amendment #3

2015 Prairie Dog Conservation Assessment & Management Strategy

• Appendix A: Decision Screens

Original 2009 Prairie Dog Conservation Assessment & Management Strategy

• Decision Screens
• ROD
• FEIS

1981 USFS Prairie Dog Environmental Assessment

Additional Documents

• National Grasslands Management Primer
• July 31, 2015 - USDA Health Risk Assessment
• Associated Wildlife Species Diagram
• 2016 USFS Associated Species Data Report

Recent News/Press Releases

• USDA Forest Service proposes prairie dog shooting closure to implement Thunder Basin National Grassland 2020 Plan Amendment, (Aug. 11, 2022)
• USDA Forest Service releases Final Record of Decision for TBNG Plan Amendment, (Dec. 1, 2020)
• USDA Forest Service releases Final Environmental Impact Statement for TBNG Plan Amendment (May 14, 2020)
• USDA Forest Service releases Draft Environmental Impact Statement for TBNG Plan Amendment (Oct. 10, 2019)
• USDA Forest Service releases Proposed Action for TBNG Plan Amendment (April 18, 2019)
  • Public participation event information, May 6 public meeting & May 8 webinar
• U.S. Forest Service beginning TBNG Plan Amendment (Feb. 25, 2019)
• Grassland Restoration and Prairie Dog Colony Management – Short and Long Term Implementation Activities (Feb. 25, 2019)
• Thunder Basin Coordination Meeting Scheduled for July 31 (July 27, 2018)
• Thunder Basin Coordination Meeting Scheduled for April 19 (April 16, 2018)
• Analysis of Thunder Basin Public Workshop & Cooperative Working Group Meetings is Planned, Next Meetings this Spring (Feb. 2, 2018)
• Thunder Basin Public Workshop & Cooperative Working Group Meetings to be held Dec. 7 in Gillette, Wyo. (Dec. 5, 2017)
• Grassland Restoration and Prairie Dog Colony Management – Short and Long Term Implementation Activities (Oct. 24, 2017)
• Next Thunder Basin Public Workshop and Cooperative Working Group Meetings are Oct. 11 in Newcastle, Wyo. (Oct. 6, 2017)
• Agendas Released for TBNG Learning Series Public Workshop & Cooperative Working Group Meetings, Sept. 6-7 in Douglas, Wyo. (Sept. 5, 2017)
• TBNG Learning Series Public Workshop & Cooperative Working Group Meetings Rescheduled for Sept. 6-7 in Douglas, Wyo. (Aug. 11, 2017)
• Plague Confirmed in Northeastern Wyoming Prairie Dog (Wyo Dept of Health, July 14, 2017)
• Thunder Basin Conservation Strategy Celebrated with Event in Cheyenne (July 14, 2017)
• Third TBNG Cooperative Working Group Meeting is June 7 (June 1, 2017)
• TBNG Public Workshop Set for April 12 in Newcastle, Second Cooperative Working Group Meeting is April 13 (April 5, 2017)
• USFS Announces One-Year Suspension of Black-tailed Prairie Dog Shooting Restrictions on TBNG (March 3, 2017)
• In New Approach, TBNG Cooperative Working Group to Meet, Plan to Continue Public Workshops (February 13, 2017)
• Update: Prairie Dog Colony Management on the TBNG (Nov. 28, 2016)
• Summary Report Available for Thunder Basin Collaborative Learning Workshops (Sept. 19, 2016)
• USFS Solicits for Prairie Dog Barrier Fence Contractor (Sept. 9, 2016)
• USFS Solicits for Prairie Dog Control Contractor (Aug. 5, 2016)
• Gillette to Host Third Thunder Basin Collaborative Learning Workshop, Public Invited (May 12, 2016)
• Second Thunder Basin Collaborative Learning Workshop to be Held in Newcastle, Public Invited (March 7, 2016)
• Public Invited to Thunder Basin Collaborative Learning Workshop in Douglas (Jan. 15, 2016)
• Situation Assessment Underway for Prairie Dog Management (March 16, 2015)