The Prairie Dog Essay Example for Free

The Prairie Dog Essay Cynomys ludovicianus, known more commonly as the prairie dog, has more traditionally been viewed as the pariah of the prairie. However within the last year, attention has been drawn to these furry little rodents. They are extremely unpopular- so much so that for decades the Federal Government has tried desperately to eliminate them. What the government doesnt know is that these creatures are vital to the survival and thriving of several species, and are in fact an asset to our world. Prairie dogs are rodents, closely related to their predator, the black-footed ferret. They live in complicated underground systems, or communities sometimes called dog towns. These dog towns are scattered across the prairie from Canada to Mexico. They graze, run rampant, and dart from one opening to another in continuous action. This action attracts several other plains animals including bison, burrowing owls, golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, antelope, coyotes, and others. The prairie dog is the center of the Great Plains animal community. There are only a handful of sites in the entire West where the species is not under eradication. It is speculated that the species has declined 98 percent across its habitat. In national parks, prairie dogs colonies are fragmented, isolated, and downright tiny. Today only seven parks hold prairie dog populations. Four places- Bens Old Fort National Historic Site, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Devils Tower National Monument, and Fort Laramie National Historic Site- active dog towns are no more than 20 acres. The other three- Badlands, Wind Cave, and Theodore Roosevelt National park- are larger. But the biggest, the Badlands, is barely 4,200 acres. The total area occupied by prairie dogs isnt more than 6,000 acres. At the turn of the century, one Texas prairie dog town measured 100 by 250 miles almost the size of Maine. About 400 million animals lived there. In the 1920s, it was estimated that the population of North American prairie dogs exceeded 500 billion. As much as twenty percent of the plains may have held these animals. Of all major biomes in North America, the plains have suffered the most, and dog towns have been destroyed for plowing. Systematic poisoning has grown into a fatal threat to the prairie dogs, as well as gopher hunting, dollar-a-dog contests, and red mist destruction. Some rural towns hold contests for cash prizes for the individual who shoots the most dogs in one day, hence dollar-a-dog. In addition to the target practice is a new killer- sylvatic plague. It is spread by fleas, gradually diffused across the West, and to make matters worse, the little critters have little or no immunity. Once the disease enters a colony, the entire town is usually lost. There are no reserve colonies to repopulate towns that are lost due to hunting, plague, poisoning, or natural events. To tell the truth, the prairie dog ecosystems are as at much risk as the old-growth forests and salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. The Biodiversity Legal Foundation in Colorado filed a petition in October of 1994 to list the prairie dog as a Category 2 under the Endangered Species Act. This states that federal agencies must be alerted that a species may be in jeopardy unless changes occur. Prairie dogs are considered by scientists to be a keystone species, which means that they are what a recorded 170 other wildlife species depend on. For example, they are the prime source of food for the black-footed ferret and the swift fox. Their abandoned colonies are later inhabited by anything form burrowing owls to rattlesnakes. Without the prairie dog, many dependent species will not survive. Their ecosystems support higher numbers of small mammals , more terrestrial predators, and higher densities, and greater diversity of bird species than grasslands without these rodents. Whats the greatest irony in the decline of the prairie dog is that it cannot be justified. Even the livestock industrys claims that prairie dogs compete with their cattle for forage appear vacuous. Studies have shown that prairie dogs actually improve forage quality for livestock. One study in South Dakota documented that livestock grazing near dog towns suffered neither weight loss nor a reduction in weight gain. And, prairie dogs thrive where trampling and grazing by livestock reduce grass height. Parks are very frightened at the idea of human visitors contracting plagues from prairie dogs. They often conduct spot treatments with poisoned oats, gas, and more. This destruction is hypocritical of the National Parks philosophy to protect native species. Poisoning of the rodents continued in the Badlands up until 1993, one year before the reintroduction of black-footed ferrets. On public and private lands, the poison of choice is zinc phosphate. Oats and other grains are laced with the chemical and then sprinkled around the colony. The death is slow and painful, taking up to twelve hours, and causing them to go into convulsions and seizures. The most disgusting method, however, is a backpackable flamethrower. Combustible gas is thrown into the burrows, is ignited, and burns the rodents alive. A change in attitude towards prairie dogs is gaining momentum. Several policy changes are in line, including a colony monitoring system to help us learn more about the natural habitat and behavior of the furry mammals. In pre-settlement days, Great Plains ecosystems were characterized by a dynamic shifting puzzle of intense disturbance created by heavy bison grazing, wildfire, prairie dog colonization, expansion, and decline. Today, few places exist where all three major disturbance factorsbison, wildfire, and prairie dogs- occur on any acreage. Such rigid boundaries that the colonies are in may not provide room for expansion. As the human population dwindles in the rural plains, room for a buffalo-prairie dog commons is highly plausible. We spent 100 years what has taken thousands of years to evolve. Now we should be asking what role they play in prairie ecosystems and providing them the space and respect they need to evolve to their potential.

Multi-State License for Nurses Essay -- The Nurse Licensure Compact (N

Massachusetts nurses have been regulated by the state since the beginning of the 20th century. Nursing has changed. With the use of technology in healthcare and the growth of multi-state healthcare corporations, the need for nurses to practice in multiple states has increased. In response to this change in nursing, multiple states have adopted the Nurse Licensure Compact. The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) allows for nurses to practice across state lines in states that have adopted the NLC. Massachusetts should pass the NLC so that MA nurses could have more job opportunities, ability to utilize more nurses during a disaster, and creating an easier and safer way to process disciplinary actions concerning nurses who practice in multiple states. Nurses in Massachusetts would greatly benefit if the NLC were to be passed in their state. Regulation of nursing has been controlled by the state. Every state has their own Nurse Standard of Practice Act that regulates nurse practice and licensing. When nurses want to practice in another state, the nurse would have to contact that specific state board of nursing reapply for a license and pay another fee. The single state license system infers that nurses are somewhat incompetent to practice across state lines (Poe, 2008). The single license system has placed barriers in front of nurses. It makes it harder for nurses to practice in other states and more difficult for multi-state hospitals to utilize their nursing staff. The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) was conceived by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Hellquist and Spector, 2004). The NLC â€Å"allows a nurse to have on license (in the nurses’ sates of residency) and to practice in other states as long as that nurse ackno... .... American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, 52(2), 52-53. Retrieved from CINAHL database. Hellquist, K. (2006). What nurse case managers need to know about the nurse licensure compact. Case Manager, 17(2), 47-50. doi:10.1016/j.casemgr.2005.11.001 Hellquist, K. & Spector, N.(2004). A primer: National council of state boards of nursing licensure compact. Journal of Healthcare Administration Healthcare law, ethics and regulation, 6 (4), 86-89. Retrieved from CINAHL database Poe,L. (2008). Nursing regulation, the nurse licensure compact, and nurse administrations: working together for patient safety. Nurse Administration Quarterly, 32(4), 267-272. Retrieved from CINAHL database. York, C. (2009). Message from the president. Nurse Licensure Compact Bill passed in Missouri!. Missouri State Board of Nursing Newsletter, 11(3), 1. Retrieved from CINAHL database.

“Homeless” by Anna Quindlen Essay

In this story â€Å"Homeless† Anna writes about analyzing what homeless don’t have and to look at them differently, it all started by a women named Ann and there she had realized of the homeless. She, Quindlen, knows what Ann is talking about how home is very meaningful, I also understand. Hopelessly Quindlen terminates that our faculty of being home has adjusted. During the time, I originally discord with Anna that the homeless are the one to give tender feelings. She convinced us to focus on what they needed other than who we think they should be. Feeling that she had pulled my strings at the beginning by reason of she decided upon as her homeless person not a crazy lady but a woman she had met at the Port Authority terminal that claimed that she’s not really homeless. Ann pulls out a photo but not a weapon I sensed Quindlen had ambushed me. I admit that â€Å"Home is where the heart is at† after all I also eulogize my 2 bedroom apartment that is occupied by nine people. Yet it keeps us secured and stable. Home is where memories are made, kept and given. The homeless that I’ve seen are mostly men walking around asking for money most of them don’t have card-boards to live in. They seem to scare me. I’m afraid that one of these days they’ll abduct me and maybe I’ll end up spiritless. When mother and I go for a walk in the area of East Los Angeles I hold her close to me, we’re both constantly on guard because the homeless are everywhere. I feel like running home where I can hide and have protection. In one’s view, a person can’t be fulfilled without a permanent home for many cases. A person without a permanent home is similar to not living. If it’s a temporary home then the person would be frustrated for the reason that he or she won’t be able to live in a home for long and wants to have a life where she or he can keep inviting guests and have a home where that person will be able to do anything. On the other hand, if it is not a permanent home nor a temporary home this is an incomparable situation seeing that a person who is homeless isn’t achieving anything and not experiencing how it feels to have a home. Seeing others eating well, dressing well, having a healthy life is not making the homeless feel satisfied for what they have-not. Assuming that Quindlen’s essay was about how the homeless require a home alike any other human, this case which I acknowledge here and now, the purpose can do more than that an unimaginable home where a person can confidentially do anything just plenty that we need to produce the homeless. Quindlen mentions however she does not adjust on those who prevent shelters because of personal reasons they have been through the past. We should know their needs as well. And we need to consider providing a place free of fear for those who, instead of wanting to paint a room blue, would like to read a book or watch a movie on TV. I agree, that home is everything, Ann needs a home that she can call her own, but to be a compassionate people, we should take the time to understand and help even those who don’t have pictures of yellow houses in their soiled bags.

The Department Of Homeland Security - 1913 Words

Methodology The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S Department of State collect what is called administrative data on an annual basis. This data is obtained from applications that immigrants file with both these departments to be admitted on either a temporary or permanent visa status. In a sense, this data represents the â€Å"flow† of immigrants officially admitted into the United States. The Office of Immigrants Statistics (OIS) within the DHS compiles an annual yearbook of immigration statistics. The yearbook contains a collection of concise detailed informational data on foreign nationals who, during a fiscal year were granted lawful permanent residence, those that were admitted on a temporary basis, and those that have†¦show more content†¦ACS does the second sample in September and October to allow new addresses to have a chance to be a part of the sampling. Sampling is reduced for all the smallest sampling starting at (SEMOS ≠¤ 800) each year with the increasing addresses. Sample testing rates remain at 15%, 10%, and 7 % the sampling rates include strata for blocks in certain census so that the surveys can have the highest rates of completed questioners. Surveys are conducted by mail and a follow up telephone call by Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI). CATI interviews have a 60% and mailing addresses have a 75% response. All data is collected by Internet, mail, telephone, and personal visit according to the ACS Survey report. (ACS methodology data report) We also chose to use the Current Population Survey (CPS) which is administered by the census bureau by selecting a sample of 60,000 households from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. They use a 4-8-4 sampling method which is sample for 4 months, take a break for 8 weeks, and then take another sample for 4months over a year. The questionnaire is computerized and filed representatives across the United States and District of Columbia administer by both personal interview and by telephone. There are terms to being able to participate individuals have to be older than 15 and not in the Armed Forces. The individuals must also be the person who is renting or is the owner of the residence. Information collected are income, veteran status,Show MoreRelatedThe Department Of Homeland Security : The Department Of Homeland Security755 Words   |  4 PagesThe Department of Homeland Security (DHS) currently has a limited ability to persistently monitor, detect, and track, non-emitting v essels that operate in Customs Waters, which spans from the shore line out to 12 nautical miles. The volume of non-emitting vessels without metadata is due in part by the lack of regulatory policy mandating vessels broadcast their identification and location which would assist with Maritime Domain Awareness. This limited ability situates DHS in need to mature the MaritimeRead MoreThe Department Of Homeland Security1263 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the biggest security agencies in which we have today is the Department of Homeland Security. They were created in 2001-2003 to stop any threats or terrorist attacks towards the United States. They employ many people from different fields since they need overall intelligence on things. The department has roughly over 100 agencies branching from them. Homeland security was created not that long ago. It is located in Washington DC in the Nebraska Avenue Complex and that’s where it started.Read MoreThe Department Of Homeland Security Essay786 Words   |  4 Pagesdeter and prevent attacks on our homeland and as well as deter and threats from potentially occurring. Following 9/11, the Department of Defense has been entrusted with the role in the management of risks facing the United Sates. 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