Commissioners approve USDA APHIS contract

County Commissioners Monday approved a contract with USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Wildlife Services for prairie dog elimination.

The contract not to exceed $11,877.50 for one and a half months of service is matched by USDA for a total of three months.

The county then bills individual property owners for the services.

Commissioners used the meeting to speak with Jerry Feist, USDA APHIS district supervisor, about the possibility of hiring more staff to assist Matt Anderson, APHIS contractor, who claimed to be so overwhelmed he was not able to provide adequate service to the county.

“I don’t have a problem with your contract at all,” Commissionor Randal Miller said. “The issue is, there’s no need to have a contract with you unless we can get it better staffed. Because we have a huge problems.”

Lodgepole is overrun with prairie dogs, Miller explained, and has also expanded north of Sidney.

Hiring a person would cost more, requiring USDA to provide additional room and board, Feist said, and argued the county should hire a person.

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