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Current Status:

Black-footed ferrets prey almost exclusively on prairie dogs. The primary threat to the ferret's recovery is the continued loss of prairie dog colonies, principally from poisoning. Such poisoning degrades and fragments ferret habitat, resulting in only small islands of prairie dog colonies. Very few sites have been identified as suitable for ferret reintroduction.

Achievements:

Success of the captive breeding program for the ferret has exceeded all expectations, yielding enough animals to support a ferret reintroduction program. In 1991, ferrets were reintroduced into the wild in Wyoming for the first time. Plans are under way for a draft environmental impact statement and proposed rule on reintroducing a nonessential experimental population of black-footed ferrets on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. The Service will seek public involvement in the environmental impact statement process and any reintroduction proposal. Through section 7 consultation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Service is encouraging tribes on the Fort Belknap and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations to develop prairie dog management plans that allow conservation of enough prairie dogs for recovery of the ferret.

Current Recovery Needs:

Increased funding will be needed to locate, develop, and manage ferret reintroduction sites across the West. Also, efforts are needed to stem the loss of prairie dog colonies. Federal land management agencies can assist by developing prairie dog management plans for public lands and by publicizing the benefits of prairie dog conservation to wildlife advocates and livestock grazers.

Section 6 Funding and Activities:

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks was provided $30,000 in FY 1991 and $15,000 in FY 1992 to prepare, in coordination with local landowners, management plans for reintroducing black-footed ferrets into Montana.

Partnerships

Bureau of Land Management: This Federal agency is helping to develop plans for a proposal to reintroduce black-footed ferrets into Montana. The Bureau has assisted by delineating prairie dog colonies in the potential reintroduction area, and has provided logistical and financial support for the ferret program in Montana.

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks: The Department maps potential ferret reintroduction sites and provides financial, administrative, and logistical support.

Recovery Plan Status:

Original plan approved 6/14/78; revised 8/8/88.