Salt Lake City • The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from residents of a small Utah city challenging endangered-species protections for prairie dogs, but the plaintiffs say their case alleging that their community has been overrun by the animals has made a mark as the Trump administration moves to loosen the rules preventing people from shooting or moving the animals.
Attorney Jonathan Wood said his clients were disappointed the Supreme Court declined to hear the case on Monday, but heartened by the new plan from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allowing prairie dogs to be killed or removed from private property to public land more frequently.