After a 14-month ban, a pesticide that fights black-tailed prairie dogs can be used again in many areas of Montana. Free training for applicators will be offered in Malta, Lewistown and Bozeman.
Montana State University Pesticide Education Specialist Cecil Tharp said the Environmental Protection Agency banned Rozol Prairie Dog Bait last year in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and New Mexico because of concerns it would affect endangered species. Among those species are black-footed ferrets, grizzly bears and Preble’s meadow jumping mouse.
The EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the pesticide manufacturer, Liphatech Incorporated, have since implemented measures that allow the pesticide to be used again in certain regions of Montana, Tharp said. The reinstatement took effect on Oct. 1.
Montana applicators who want to use Rozol Prairie Dog Bait should pay close attention to new conservation measures, Tharp said. Those measures:
Prohibit application within current and future black-footed ferret reintroduction areas.
Shorten the application season when the range of the black-tailed prairie dog overlaps with the range of listed species, including grizzly bears and Preble’s meadow jumping mouse. This pesticide product can only be used from Dec. 1 to March 1 within grizzly bear ranges.
Require expanded carcass removal procedures to remove poisoned black-tailed prairie dogs.
Require additional recordkeeping, which relate to carcass removal, geographic restrictions and more.
Prohibit use of Rozol Prairie Dog Bait within the tribal boundaries of the Fort Belknap, Northern Cheyenne, Crow and Blackfeet Indian reservations.
Applicators are urged to use the EPA Endangered Species website to access geographic areas and applicable restrictions for their intended application sites. All site restrictions can be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/endanger/bulletins.htm. Click on “Bulletins Live.”
Because of those changes, Liphatech organized free meetings for applicators. The meetings worth two credits for commercial, government, and private applicators in Montana will cover new label requirements, endangered species considerations, proper application techniques and proper site assessment/carcass search.
Upcoming meetings will be held in Malta, Lewistown and Bozeman. The times, dates and locations are 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at the Great Northern Inn in Malta; 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the Yogo Inn in Lewistown; and 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, at the Best Western GranTree Inn in Bozeman. Dinner will be served in Malta, and lunch in Lewistown and Bozeman.
To attend the training sessions, RSVP to Marianne Baseheart at [email protected]
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