Prairie dogs damage more than 2,000 acres of pasture, rangeland in county

Prairie dogs contributed to a loss of more than 2,000 acres of pasture and rangeland in Cheyenne County in the past year, according to Matt Anderson, a U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife specialist.

Cheyenne County contracts with the USDA to help control the populations of prairie dogs and other pests that can cause significant damage to the environment.

Anderson, who works for the department’s animal and plant health inspection service, presented an annual report the Cheyenne County Commissioners earlier this week.

“We worked a total of 229 1/2 hours in the county,” he said on Monday. “M...