The black-footed ferret (BFF) is the most endangered carnivorous mammal in north america and has the highest priority rating that can be assigned under the provisions of the endangered species act…

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe received a $196,546 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 6 under the Tribal Wildlife Grants program (CFDA 15.639) effective August 1, 2025, with a completion date of December 31, 2026. The award supports the tribe's black-footed ferret (BFF) recovery efforts on tribal lands in South Dakota, focusing on habitat development and species reintroduction activities. As a member of the National Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team, the tribe will continue its 25-year commitment to BFF conservation by providing prairie dog habitat protection and managing BFF releases into the wild, addressing the critical dependency of this highly endangered carnivorous mammal on prairie dog colonies for sustenance and burrow systems.

The funded project delivers conservation services aligned with the Endangered Species Act's recovery objectives for the BFF, the most endangered carnivorous mammal in North America. The Tribal Wildlife Grants program supports the development and implementation of wildlife conservation programs benefiting fish and wildlife resources and their habitats, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance. Through this award, the tribe will advance critical habitat protection and species management activities that support federal ESA recovery goals while building tribal capacity in wildlife conservation and providing a model for other jurisdictions lacking plague-free prairie dog colonies or the social-political framework to undertake independent BFF recovery initiatives.

The black-footed ferret (BFF) is the most endangered carnivorous mammal in north america and has the highest priority rating that can be assigned under the provisions of the endangered species act (ESA) of 1973. Due to the fact that the BFF natural habitat is focused on the prairie DOG for sustenance and burrows for protection and whelping, prairie DOG protection is essential for BFF recovery. This obligatory dependence creates a dilemma for some individuals, tribes, federal and state entities wanting to provide habitat but DON t have plague free colonies and or the social-political support to do recovery activities. This tribe has demonstrated over the past 25 years the willingness to take on this national endeavor by developing a BFF recovery project, becoming a member of the national black-footed ferret recovery implementation team (bffrit), providing habitat and releasing bffs into the wild.