Pilot Prairie Dog Barrier Program

Application Opening Date: November 19, 2024

Application Closing Date: December 3, 2024

Introduction and Purpose

The City recognizes that neighbors to city-owned or managed open space land (Open Space Land) may be concerned about prairie dogs colonizing their properties and causing damage to landscaping, creating hazards for livestock, or otherwise conflicting with land use. While prairie dogs are native wildlife that move freely and by law belong to the State of Colorado, the City has developed a cost-share program to construct barriers to discourage prairie dog movement onto private property from adjacent prairie dog colonies on Open Space Land.

The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks department (OSMP) will provide funds to share up to 50% of the cost of a barrier project, at a cost of $12.88 per foot, to a maximum of $10,000 per project. Properties eligible for cost-sharing must be private residential or agricultural properties that share a boundary with, or are directly adjacent across a road to Open Space Lands that have active prairie dog colonies present. Applicants do not need to be residents of the City of Boulder. OSMP staff will evaluate and score applications based on pre-determined criteria related to prairie dog and other management goals such as management of noxious weeds or crucial wildlife corridors.

Barrier cost-share awards are based on the cost per linear foot for a chicken wire barrier that is 3 feet tall and has a 3-foot apron on the ground facing the prairie dog colony. OSMP uses this barrier type extensively on OSMP lands. Other barrier types or materials may be used, provided they follow standards described below. In most cases, barriers should be installed entirely on the Applicant’s private property, including trenches and wire mesh aprons. In some cases, subject to OSMP approval, barriers may be attached to existing OSMP fencing if the fencing is along a shared boundary, is in sufficiently good condition, and the barrier does not impede the fence function for livestock management or other purposes. If this option is desired, neighbors receiving funding through this program must enter into an agreement with the city which will include stipulations that after installation, the landowner will be responsible for upkeep and repair of the barrier, including all costs therefor.

Application Requirements

Applications submitted before the opening date or after the closing date will be rejected. Applications must be submitted electronically through the form below. Work started prior to notification of award from OSMP is not eligible for funding. Application forms must be complete for all required fields. Individuals may apply for funding during subsequent application periods, regardless of whether they received funds during the current or any other application period, though if an applicant did receive funding in previous application periods, the new application must be applied to different locations than the previous barrier.

Applications must include the length of barrier the applicant wishes to construct and a map or detailed information about the location of the barrier, in addition to other information. Labor may be contracted, or applicants receiving program funds may construct the barrier themselves, following the standards described below.

Barrier Standards

Effective barriers prevent prairie dogs from climbing, seeing through, and/or burrowing beneath the barrier. No barrier is 100% effective. Barrier effectiveness may be improved if prairie dogs cannot see through the barrier. If an applicant wishes to construct a barrier with different materials or features from the chicken wire standard, the applicant must provide barrier specifications on the application, and those barrier specifications must meet the following OSMP standards:

• The chicken wire portion of the barrier must be at least 30 inches tall, but no taller than 36 inches.
• The base of the barrier must be trenched at least 36 inches deep, and/or have a 30- to 36-inch apron anchored to the ground facing the existing prairie dog colony.
• Barriers may not be installed on an existing OSMP boundary fence that is in poor condition or where the barrier or apron is incompatible with fence maintenance, livestock management, or other OSMP uses, at the sole discretion of OSMP.
• If the barrier is not installed on boundary fence shared with Open Space Land it must be inset at least 6 feet from the boundary fence to allow the entirety of the apron to be installed on the private property and allow additional room so that there is not a tight space that can trap wildlife.
• Barrier material must be durable and designed for exposure to harsh conditions including wind, snow, heat, freezing, and ultraviolet radiation. Acceptable materials include chicken wire, vinyl, shade cloth backed with hardware cloth, or metal panels. Silt fencing is NOT an acceptable barrier material.
• If barrier installation will damage existing, occupied prairie dog burrows on Open Space Land, the fund recipient must consult with OSMP staff for impact avoidance and potential passive relocation of the prairie dogs in these burrows prior to installation.
• Damaging prairie dog burrows is prohibited by City ordinance within municipal boundaries or on City-owned land. See, section 6-1-12, “Damaging Prairie Dog Burrows Prohibited,” B.R.C. 1981.
• Barriers must be designed to best prevent prairie dog movement based on the local landscape, including but not limited to connection to existing barriers, and reducing permeability of access areas such as gates. OSMP staff may visit each project site to provide design requirements prior to approval of the cost share funding.
• Barriers must not contribute to collection of List A Species of noxious weeds as identified by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. OSMP staff will provide design alternatives to avoid these impacts, or reject an application if these impacts cannot be mitigated.
• Barriers must not obstruct wildlife movement corridors. OSMP staff will provide design alternatives to avoid these impacts, or reject an application if these impacts cannot be mitigated.

A schematic of a chicken wire barrier is below. Examples of acceptable barriers on Open Space Land can be seen along the west side of N. 71st Street, just south of the intersection of Highway 119 and Highway 52, and on the north side of Monarch Road, between N. 63rd and 55th Streets.

Award Process

The anticipated award announcement date will be early January 2025 (subject to change). Applicants may not apply cost-sharing funds to work started or barriers installed prior to award of the funds. OSMP will disburse 50% of the determined cost-share amount at the beginning of the project; and the remaining 50% will be disbursed upon satisfactory completion of the barrier. OSMP staff must be allowed on site to inspect the completed barrier prior to disbursement of the remaining funds.

By submitting an application, applicants agree to the following conditions:

• Cost-share funds may only be used to construct prairie dog barriers on property owned by the applicant as identified in the application.
• OSMP staff must be allowed on site to inspect the completed project.
• The applicant must provide any documents necessary for cost-share processing.
• The applicant may be subject to audit of statements made and/or use of funds awarded, at OSMP’s sole discretion.
• Applicant is responsible for any tax consequences arising out of their receipt of cost-share funding.
• Failure to complete an awarded project or comply with program terms and conditions may result in forfeiture of all awarded funds to be refunded to the city.
• Applicant must maintain the barrier in good repair at applicant’s sole cost and expense.
• Applicant may be required to sign an agreement regarding maintenance if any part of the barrier is constructed on OSMP property (to be discussed on a case-by-case basis).

The applicant must agree to indemnify and hold harmless the City of Boulder for any claims already made and that may be made in the future from participating in the Prairie Dog Barrier Cost Share Program.