Behind the Scenes:

How an area becomes a black-footed ferret reintroduction site
A difficult task for black-footed ferret recovery is finding suitable places to release them into the wild. Although prairie dogs exist in 12 U.S. states, Mexico and Canada not all places with prairie dogs are suitable for black-footed ferrets. First, an area must be large enough and contain a significant acreage of prairie dogs, usually more than 1,000 acres. Ferrets are territorial animals and need wide open and well connected prairie dog colonies in order to survive. Next, the area­ must be disease-free or have a plan for controlling the deadly diseases, like plague, that can kill both prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets. Finally, the area should have some stability of ownership to ensure that the prairie dogs and ferrets will be allowed to persist for a while.

If an area is deemed suitable for black-footed ferret reintroduction then a trail of paperwork begins. All the entities involved must develop action plans, obtain permits and solicit public input before ferrets can hit the ground. This process can take up to several years in some cases but these are necessary steps to recover an endangered species. It takes an incredible amount of coordination between federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, tribes, landowners and the general public. Prairie Wildlife Research works behind the scenes to provide expertise on documents such as action plans and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) to benefit black-footed ferrets across the continent.

How black-footed ferret recovery is organized
There are more than 30 agencies, organizations, zoos, and tribes in North America that work together to recover black-footed ferrets. Collectively we are known as the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team (BFFRIT), organized by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to steer and put the recovery plan into action. Within BFFRIT there four committees: the Executive Committee, which addresses the legal, political and social issues; the Conservation Subcommittee, which deals with the biological issues related to the field aspect of black-footed ferrets; the Species Survival Plan (SSP) Subcommittee, which covers all aspects of captive breeding, husbandry and genetics; and the Education and Outreach Subcommittee, which is charged with engaging the public and lobbying on behalf of black-footed ferrets. In the United States, the agency that is ultimately responsible for endangered species recovery is the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service but they rely on many partners to accomplish their goals.