Prairie dogs concern Wellington residents
By KELLEY SMITH
Contributing writer
Wellington city has received several calls from local residents voicing concerns regarding the large population of prairie dogs in the area. Apparently, the animals are popping up all over the place.
There have always been a lot of prairie dogs in Wellington. However, there are so many of the animals this year that they are becoming a public nuisance. Some residents are even afraid to let small children go out to play in their front yards for fear the youngsters may get bitten by the rodents.
Wellington officials discussed the problem during last Wednesday' regular council meeting. There were some concerns on how to move forward on the issue.
"I am not sure if the responsibility for this problem falls on the city or on the private land owners," stated Mayor Carl Houskeeper.
Another concern is that some species of prairie dogs are considered to be endangered.
Council member Paula Noyes indicated that she thinks the species found in the Wellington area are not endangered, but further clarification would have to be done to confirm that.
Unsure on how exactly to move forward to resolve the problem, Houskeeper suggested Wellington officials contact the Utah Divison of Wildlife Resources to see if the state agency can offer any insight or possible solutions for the growing problem.
Council member Ed Chavez said he will contact the DWR and report back to the Wellington city as soon as possible.
Wellington residents should to be careful on how they deal with the problem., according to officials There are laws against using any type of projectile weapons inside city limits.
The city's mayor and council members asked Wellington residents to make sure of the rules and regulations regarding handling similar issues.
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