Site Conservation Teams
A NEW APPROACH TO WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES TO CONSERVE PREBLE’S MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE
The Preble’s meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) was listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as federally threatened in 1998. This species is dependent on riparian ecosystems and is only found along the Front Range of Colorado and Southern Wyoming in riparian areas below 7600 feet.
The greatest threats to population recovery are habitat alteration, fragmentation, and destruction from urban development and grazing activities. Fortunately, suitable habitat for the Preble’s mouse can be maintained or improved in our watersheds with compatible land management.
The Preble’s mouse Recovery Plan, published in 2018, calls for the formation of Site Conservation Teams (SCTs), which shall nominate recovery populations, identify threats and means through which to manage threats, and reach out to communities with this information. Site Conservation Teams are composed of community stakeholders such as federal, state, and local government agencies, nonprofit entities, and private landowners.
To learn more about regional SCTs:
Plum Creek (coming soon)
Buckhorn (coming soon)
Cherry Creek (coming soon)
