Nine states, including Colorado, are stepping into a lawsuit over the Utah prairie dog in favor of a ruling that animal activists say threatens to undermine the Endangered Species Act. The attorneys general asked an appeals court to uphold a ruling striking down federal protections for the Utah prairie dog on private property.
![RTD Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald Sr. speaking at a press conference](https://www.cpr.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto/https://wp-cpr.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/11/221110-DENVER-SAFETY-PRESS-CONFERENCE-COLORADO-CONVENTION-CENTER-DOWNTOWN-CBD-KEVINJBEATY-31.jpg)