Description: This data tracks the spatial extent of black-tailed prairie dog colonies on OSMP-managed lands over time, including any held in fee and on conservation easements where the department has a management agreement in place.Data was collected using GPS and clipped to the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) and Boulder County Parks and Open Space (BCPOS) properties. It has been collected yearly each fall since 1996, by OSMP wildlife staff. Black-tailed prairie dog colonies create a unique habitat on the landscape. They create habitat and food for other animals of federal, state, and local conservation concern (e.g. burrowing owls, ferruginous hawks, bald and golden eagles, American badger, etc., (see the OSMP Grassland Ecosystem Management Plan for more details)). Their burrowing activity also causes conflicts when it occurs on parcels where the management focus is on agriculture or other purposes. The conflict can be especially high in areas of irrigated grasslands since the burrowing activity can alter how water is applied to the landscape, and prairie dog browsing can remove graminoid cover and encourage invasions of tenacious non-native form species. System-wide mapping was first initiated by the mandate to monitor black-tailed prairie dogs in 'City of Boulder Grassland Management: Black-tailed Prairie Dog Habitat Conservation Plan'. This plan was approved by the City of Boulder Open Space Board of Trustees on March 13, 1996. Annual system-wide mapping began that fall, and continued each subsequent fall starting on Sept 1. In 2012 a field was added to distinguish active vs inactive colonies. At this time we began also collecting inactive colony boundaries.The spatial data informs the public, lessees, academic researchers, and partnering agencies as to the extent of the black-tailed prairie dogs on our properties. This data informs conservation planning for sensitive species, including the federally endangered black-footed ferret. The annual mapping can be used to visually demonstrate how populations fluctuate, highlight areas of conflict, and inform management decisions. This long term data set allows for a retrospective view of where prairie dogs have occurred on the system in the past, but where they may no longer persist. This historic view helps staff identify areas where prairie dogs are likely to become reestablished, either through natural recolonization or by direct relocation. Information on where prairie dogs have or do exist also helps inform Habitat Suitability Models. The data set also provides staff with tools to make management decision based on colony management designations (Prairie Dog Conservation Area, Grassland Preserve, Multiple Objective Area, Transition Area, Removal Area - see OSMP Grassland Ecosystem Management Plan for specifics on the designation process) The data is not meant to estimate the population of individual animals on the system or to estimate colony density.